Named after the lead boat, the Sturgeon class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) served with the United States Navy from the late 1960s to the mid-2000s. With a submerged displacement of 4,780 tons, its successors were the 6,920-ton , the first of which was commissioned in 1976.Chant 2005, pp. 72–73, 76. The Sturgeon class was designed with digital combat systems and more quieting features than its predecessor, the .Chant 2005, p. 72. As SSNs, Sturgeon-class submarines were designed to primarily perform anti-submarine warfare operations. Seven different primary contractors constructed the 37 boats of the class, making it the second-most numerous nuclear-powered warship class in the world after the 62-boat Los Angeles class.

In the late 1950s, the U.S. Navy identified the need to reengineer the Thresher/Permit class, the boats of which were then being constructed. In pursuit of high-speed operations, many design aspects were sacrificed.Friedman 1994, p. 145. To address such deficiences, the Sturgeon class was created. This class differed from its predecessor by having an enlarged and relocated sail to accommodate additional external sensors; a second periscope was also added. Additionally, the fairwater planes on the sail could be rotated 90 degrees to allow breaking through relatively thin ice. The hull was lengthened from about to about ; this, coupled with the larger sail, reduced the class's speed by compared to the Thresher/Permit class.Friedman 1994, p. 146. Internally, the class's layout was rearranged to improve habitability and to admit more weapons as compared to its predecessor. The class was further redesigned with SUBSAFE program rules following the loss of in April 1963.Friedman 1994, pp. 143–147. Among the range of armaments used by the class were the Mark 45 nuclear torpedo, Mark 48 torpedo, the Harpoon anti-ship missile, the Tomahawk cruise missile, and the SUBROC nuclear anti-submarine missile.

Starting with , the hull was lengthened by 10 ft (3 m) to allow a larger living and working space compared to previous boats of the class. Nine boats incorporated this extension. Other modifications included the addition of a Dry Deck Shelter (an external lockout chamber capable of accommodating SEAL Delivery Vehicles) to six boats to enable covert insertion and extraction of U.S. Navy SEALs.

Boats

In October 1961, General Dynamics Electric Boat was awarded the contract to construct the lead boat of the class, . Laid down in August 1963, the boat was launched in February 1966 before being commissioned in March 1966. Electric Boat would be the largest builder of the class, responsible for twelve boats in total. It was followed by Newport News Shipbuilding (with nine boats), Ingalls Shipbuilding (seven boats), San Francisco Naval Shipyard/Mare Island Naval Shipyard (five boats), General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (two boats each). The final boat of the class, , was commissioned in August 1975.

was a significant modification of the Sturgeon design for an experimental propulsion system, and so was a one-ship class. was also identified as such during her construction, but later was admitted to have been a unique design with very little in common with the Sturgeon class.

Originally designed for 20-year operational lives, boats of the Sturgeon class had this lengthened to 30 years, with a further planned three-year extension. However, many boats were retired prior to the limit to avoid costly nuclear refueling. The first to be decommissioned, in October 1991, was USS Sea Devil; the last, , was decommissioned in July 2005. By then, the Los Angeles-, Seawolf-, and Virginia-class SSNs had entered service.

Keys

Length Boat Hull number Ordered Laid down Launched Delivered Commissioned Decommissioned Period of service Fate Ref. 292 ft (89 m) SSN-637 30 November 1961 10 August 1963 26 February 1966 3 March 1967 3 March 1967 1 August 1994 27.4 Disposed of by recycling; sail transferred to museum § SSN-638 27 May 1964 14 October 1966 26 October 1968 12 October 1968 25 June 1996 27.7 Disposed of by recycling SSN-639 27 January 1964 15 April 1967 30 August 1968 17 August 1968 31 March 1997 28.6 Disposed of by recycling SSN-646 5 September 1962 12 May 1964 22 June 1967 10 December 1969 11 October 1969 18 July 1997 27.8 Disposed of by recycling SSN-647 23 March 1963 5 May 1964 3 June 1967 15 May 1971 15 May 1971 11 June 1999 28.1 Disposed of by recycling SSN-648 23 November 1964 29 November 1967 20 February 1969 20 February 1969 31 March 1995 26.1 Disposed of by recycling § SSN-649 15 January 1965 14 October 1966 15 March 1969 15 March 1969 31 March 1997 28.0 Disposed of by recycling SSN-650 3 June 1964 17 September 1966 23 December 1967 5 January 1968 14 April 1995 27.3 Disposed of by recycling SSN-651 11 May 1964 25 February 1966 6 December 1966 6 December 1966 14 April 1992 25.4 Disposed of by recycling SSN-652 8 February 1965 30 March 1968 31 July 1969 9 August 1969 12 July 1996 26.9 Disposed of by recycling SSN-653 4 January 1965 21 June 1966 19 April 1967 12 April 1967 16 March 1993 25.9 Disposed of by recycling SSN-660 24 October 1963 15 January 1965 11 November 1969 1 October 1971 25 September 1971 7 August 1998 26.9 Disposed of by recycling SSN-661 26 July 1965 16 December 1966 14 December 1967 14 December 1967 8 August 1992 24.7 Disposed of by recycling SSN-662 22 December 1964 20 May 1967 8 December 1968 6 December 1968 28 April 1995 26.4 Disposed of by recycling SSN-663 28 May 1964 29 November 1965 14 April 1967 28 June 1968 28 June 1968 5 April 1995 26.8 Disposed of by recycling SSN-664 12 April 1966 5 October 1967 – 30 January 1969 16 October 1991 22.7 Disposed of by recycling SSN-665 18 December 1964 9 December 1965 27 July 1968 9 September 1972 9 September 1972 29 May 1992 19.7 Disposed of by recycling SSN-666 12 September 1966 12 April 1969 1 March 1971 4 February 1971 15 March 2000 29.1 Disposed of by recycling SSN-667 9 March 1965 16 April 1966 17 February 1968 9 June 1969 13 June 1969 6 June 1996 27.0 Disposed of by recycling SSN-668 21 December 1966 15 May 1968 14 August 1969 14 August 1969 11 April 1997 27.7 Disposed of by recycling SSN-669 13 August 1966 15 June 1968 24 September 1969 19 September 1969 17 August 1995 25.9 Disposed of by recycling SSN-670 26 June 1967 7 December 1968 1 February 1970 4 February 1970 28 March 1997 27.1 Disposed of by recycling SSN-672 29 December 1965 27 October 1967 16 August 1969 1 September 1971 11 September 1971 26 February 1998 26.5 Disposed of by recycling SSN-673 15 July 1966 30 June 1967 17 May 1969 1 April 1970 29 April 1970 16 May 1996 26.0 Disposed of by recycling SSN-674 28 October 1967 27 September 1969 1 August 1970 14 August 1970 1 June 1999 28.8 Disposed of by recycling SSN-675 13 March 1968 10 January 1970 1 January 1971 8 January 1971 31 May 1996 25.4 Disposed of by recycling SSN-676 20 September 1968 1 May 1970 1 March 1971 12 March 1971 1 July 1999 28.3 Disposed of by recycling SSN-677 15 March 1967 20 August 1968 23 May 1970 1 April 1972 15 April 1972 30 October 1995 23.5 Disposed of by recycling 302 ft (92 m) SSN-678 25 June 1968 19 June 1969 16 January 1971 1 December 1971 17 December 1971 31 March 1998 26.3 Disposed of by recycling SSN-679 13 October 1969 4 June 1971 5 May 1972 5 May 1972 21 July 1994 22.2 Disposed of by recycling (ex Redfish) SSN-680 4 August 1969 11 December 1971 1 May 1973 5 May 1973 11 February 2000 26.8 Disposed of by recycling SSN-681 9 February 1970 9 October 1971 1 September 1972 1 September 1972 17 March 1999 26.5 Disposed of by recycling SSN-682 22 May 1970 10 June 1972 1 January 1974 26 January 1974 13 March 1998 24.1 Disposed of by recycling SSN-683 10 December 1970 13 January 1973 1 August 1974 17 August 1974 18 July 2005 30.9 Disposed of by recycling SSN-684 24 July 1968 4 June 1970 19 February 1972 1 April 1973 9 February 1973 30 March 1998 25.1 Disposed of by recycling SSN-686 1 July 1969 26 June 1971 2 June 1973 1 December 1974 1 February 1975 10 May 2001 26.3 Disposed of by recycling SSN-687 25 July 1969 19 October 1971 12 January 1974 12 August 1975 16 August 1975 24 June 1994 18.9 Disposed of by recycling

References

Bibliography

External links Photo galleries of US nuclear attack submarines at NavSource