James Madison-class submarine
.jpg) USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630) entering Holy Loch, Scotland on completion of the thousandth Polaris nuclear deterrent patrol, 18 May 1972.
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | |
| Operators |  United States Navy |
| Preceded by | Lafayette class |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Franklin class |
| Built | 1962–1964 |
| In commission | 1964–1995 |
| Completed | 10 |
| Retired | 10 |
| Preserved | 1 (as training vessel) |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine |
| Displacement | Surfaced: 7,325 long tons (7,443 t) Submerged: 8,251 long tons (8,383 t)[2] |
| Length | 425 ft (130 m) |
| Beam | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Draft | 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Test depth | 1,300 feet (400 m)[2] |
| Complement | Two crews of 14 officers and 126 enlisted[2] |
| Armament | 16 Polaris A3 or Poseidon C3 or Trident I C4 missiles, 4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes[2] |
The James Madison class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the Lafayette class of fleet ballistic missile submarine. They were identical to the Lafayettes except for being initially designed to carry the Polaris A-3 missile instead of the earlier A-2. This class, together with the George Washington, Ethan Allen, Lafayette, and Benjamin Franklin classes, composed the "41 for Freedom" that was the Navy's primary contribution to the nuclear deterrent force through the late 1980s. This class and the Benjamin Franklin class are combined with the Lafayettes in some references.
Design
[edit]In the early 1970s all were modified for the Poseidon C-3 missile. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, six boats were further modified to carry the Trident I C-4 missile, along with six Benjamin Franklin-class boats. These were James Madison, Daniel Boone, John C. Calhoun, Von Steuben, Casimir Pulaski, and Stonewall Jackson.[3]
Fate
[edit]The James Madisons were decommissioned between 1986 and 1995 due to a combination of SALT II treaty limitations as the Ohio-class SSBNs entered service, age, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. One (Sam Rayburn) remains out of commission but converted to a Moored Training Ship (MTS-635) with the missile compartment removed. She is stationed at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia for inactivation.[3]
Boats in class
[edit]Submarines of the James Madison class:[3][4] (Submarines marked with * indicate Trident I C-4 ballistic missile conversions.)
| Name | Hull number | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison* | SSBN-627 | Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. | 5 March 1962 | 15 March 1963 | 28 July 1964 | 20 November 1992 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1997 |
| Tecumseh | SSBN-628 | General Dynamics Electric Boat | 1 June 1962 | 22 June 1963 | 29 May 1964 | 23 July 1993 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1994 |
| Daniel Boone* | SSBN-629 | Mare Island Naval Shipyard | 6 February 1962 | 22 June 1963 | 23 April 1964 | 18 February 1994 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1994 |
| John C. Calhoun* | SSBN-630 | Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. | 4 June 1962 | 22 June 1963 | 15 September 1964 | 28 March 1994 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1994 |
| Ulysses S. Grant | SSBN-631 | General Dynamics Electric Boat | 18 August 1962 | 2 November 1963 | 17 July 1964 | 12 June 1992 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1992 |
| Von Steuben* | SSBN-632 | Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. | 4 September 1962 | 18 October 1963 | 30 September 1964 | 26 February 1994 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 2001 |
| Casimir Pulaski* | SSBN-633 | General Dynamics Electric Boat | 12 January 1963 | 1 February 1964 | 14 August 1964 | 7 March 1994 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1994 |
| Stonewall Jackson* | SSBN-634 | Mare Island Naval Shipyard | 4 July 1962 | 30 November 1963 | 26 August 1964 | 9 February 1995 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1995 |
| Sam Rayburn | SSBN-635 | Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. | 3 December 1962 | 20 December 1963 | 2 December 1964 | 31 July 1989 | Converted to Moored Training Ship (MTS-635) with missile compartment removed. |
| Nathanael Greene | SSBN-636 | Portsmouth Naval Shipyard | 21 May 1962 | 12 May 1964 | 19 December 1964 | 15 December 1986 | Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 2000 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "SSBN-616 Lafayette-Class FBM Submarines" from the FAS Archived 23 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e f Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 199–203, 244. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
- ^ a b c Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p.612.
- ^ "FleetBallisticMissileSubmarines". Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2012. California Center for Military History (dead link 2015-05-09)
- Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen (editors). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, US: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
- Polmar, Norman. The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet: Twelfth Edition. London:Arms and Armour Press, 1981. ISBN 0-85368-397-2.
- US Naval Vessel Register – List of SSBN BALLISTIC MISSILE SUBMARINE (NUCLEAR-POWERED) Class vessels
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
External links
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