Los Angeles-Class Submarine

The Los Angeles-class, sometimes called the LA-class or the 688-class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that forms the backbone of the U.S. Navy's submarine force, with 62 submarines of this class being completed. As of late 2013, 41 of the class are still in commission and 21 retired from service. Of the 21 retired boats, 14 of them were laid half way (approximately 17-18 years) through their projected lifespans due to their midlife reactor refuelings being cancelled, and one boat, USS Miami (SSN-755), due to extensive fire damage caused by arson when she was a few months into a maintenance period. A further four boats were proposed by the Navy, but later cancelled.

The Los Angeles class contains more nuclear submarines than any other class in the world. The class was preceded by the Sturgeon class and followed by the Seawolf. Except for USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709), all submarines of this class are named after American cities and a few towns (e.g. Key West, Florida, and Greeneville, Tennessee). This system of naming broke a long-standing tradition in the U.S. Navy of naming attack submarines for creatures of the ocean (e.g. USS Nautilus (SSN-571).

The final 23 boats of the Los Angeles class were designed and built to be quieter than their predecessors and also to carry more-advanced sensor and weapons systems. These advanced boats were also designed for operating beneath the polar ice cap. Their diving planes were placed at their bows rather than on their sails, and they have stronger sails for penetrating thick ice.

Builders: Newport News Shipbuilding
General Dynamics Electric Boat
Operators:  United States Navy
Preceded by: Sturgeon-class attack submarine
Succeeded by: Seawolf-class attack submarine
Built: 1972–1996
In commission: 1976–present
Completed: 62
Active: 40
Laid up: 1 
Retired: 21
General characteristics
Displacement:

Surfaced: 6,082 tonnes (5,986 long tons)

Submerged: 6,927 tonnes (6,818 long tons)
Length: 362 ft (110 m)
Beam: 33 ft (10 m)
Draft: 31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion: 1 GE PWR S6G nuclear reactor, 2 turbines 35,000 hp (26 MW), 1 auxiliary motor 325 hp (242 kW), 1 shaft
Speed:

Surfaced:20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h)

Submerged: +20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) (official), 33+ knots (reported)
Range: Refueling required after 30 years
Endurance: 90 days
Test depth: 950 ft (290 m)
Complement: 129
Sensors and
processing systems:		 BQQ-5 Suite which includes Active and Passive systems SONAR, BQS-15 detecting and ranging SONAR, WLR-8V(2) ESM receiver, WLR-9 acoustic receiver for detection of active search SONAR and acoustic homing torpedoes, BRD-7 radio direction finder, BPS-15 RADAR
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 WLR-10 countermeasures set
Armament: 4× 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 37x Mk 48 torpedo, Tomahawk land attack missile, Harpoon anti–ship missile, Mk 67 mobile, or Mk 60 Captor mines (most boats in service as of 2011 have a 12-tube VLS)

Capabilities

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the top speed of the submarines of the Los Angeles class is over 25 knots (29 mph or 46 kph), although the actual maximum is classified. Some published estimates have placed their top speed at 30 to 33 knots. In his book Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship, Tom Clancy estimated the top speed of Los Angeles-class submarines at about 37 knots.

The U.S. Navy gives the maximum operating depth of the Los Angeles class as 650 ft (200 m), while Patrick Tyler, in his book Running Critical, suggests a maximum operating depth of 950 ft (290 m). Although Tyler cites the 688-class design committee for this figure, the government has not commented on it. The maximum diving depth is 1,475 ft (450 m) according to Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004–2005 Edition, edited by Commodore Stephen Saunders of the Royal Navy.

Summary by Status

Status Count
Active, in commission 42
In Commission, in Reserve (Stand Down),
commencement of inactivation availability		 0
Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling 18
Disposed of by submarine recycling 2
Total 62

 

Complete List

Ship Hull
No.		 Commissioning–
Decommissioning		 Status NVR
Page
Flight I
Los Angeles 688 1976–2010 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN688
Baton Rouge 689 1977–1995 Disposed of by submarine recycling SSN689
Philadelphia 690 1977–2010 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN690
Memphis 691 1977–2011 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling
 		SSN691
Omaha 692 1978–1995 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN692
Cincinnati 693 1978–1995 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN693
Groton 694 1978–1997 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN694
Birmingham 695 1978–1997 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN695
New York City 696 1979–1997 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN696
Indianapolis 697 1980–1998 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN697
Bremerton 698 1981– Active, in commission SSN698
Jacksonville 699 1981– Active, in commission SSN699
Dallas 700 1981– Active, scheduled to be decommissioned 26 Sep 2014 SSN700
La Jolla 701 1981– Active, in commission SSN701
Phoenix 702 1981–1998 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN702
Boston 703 1982–1999 Disposed of by submarine recycling SSN703
Baltimore 704 1982–1998 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN704
City of Corpus Christi 705 1983– Active, in commission SSN705
Albuquerque 706 1983– Active, in commission SSN706
Portsmouth 707 1983–2005 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN707
Minneapolis-Saint Paul 708 1984–2007 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN708
Hyman G. Rickover 709 1984–2007 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN709
Augusta 710 1985–2008 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN710
San Francisco 711 1981– Active, in commission SSN711
Atlanta 712 1982–1999 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN712
Houston 713 1982– Active, in commission SSN713
Norfolk 714 1983– Active, in commission SSN714
Buffalo 715 1983– Active, in commission SSN715
Salt Lake City 716 1984–2006 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN716
Olympia 717 1984– Active, in commission SSN717
Honolulu 718 1985–2007 Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling SSN718
Flight II (with VLS)
Providence 719 1985– Active, in commission SSN719
Pittsburgh 720 1985– Active, in commission SSN720
Chicago 721 1986– Active, in commission SSN721
Key West 722 1987– Active, in commission SSN722
Oklahoma City 723 1988– Active, in commission SSN723
Louisville 724 1986– Active, in commission SSN724
Helena 725 1987– Active, in commission SSN725
Newport News 750* 1989– Active, in commission SSN750
Improved 688 (688i)
San Juan 751 1988– Active, in commission SSN751
Pasadena 752 1989– Active, in commission SSN752
Albany 753 1990– Active, in commission SSN753
Topeka 754 1989– Active, in commission SSN754
Miami 755 1990–2013 Scrapped due to severe damage by a fire SSN755
Scranton 756 1991– Active, in commission SSN756
Alexandria 757 1991– Active, in commission SSN757
Asheville 758 1991– Active, in commission SSN758
Jefferson City 759 1992– Active, in commission SSN759
Annapolis 760 1992– Active, in commission SSN760
Springfield 761 1993– Active, in commission SSN761
Columbus 762 1993– Active, in commission SSN762
Santa Fe 763 1994– Active, in commission SSN763
Boise 764 1992– Active, in commission SSN764
Montpelier 765 1993– Active, in commission SSN765
Charlotte 766 1994– Active, in commission SSN766
Hampton 767 1993– Active, in commission SSN767
Hartford 768 1994– Active, in commission SSN768
Toledo 769 1995– Active, in commission SSN769
Tucson 770 1995– Active, in commission SSN770
Columbia 771 1995– Active, in commission SSN771
Greeneville 772 1996– Active, in commission SSN772
Cheyenne 773** 1996– Active, in commission SSN773

 

Source

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