The Sturgeon class (known colloquially in naval circles as the 637 class) was a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) in service with the United States Navy from the 1960s until 2004. They were the "workhorses" of the Navy's attack submarine fleet throughout much of the Cold War. The boats were phased out in the 1990s and early 21st century, as their successors, the Los Angeles, followed by the Seawolf and Virginia-class boats, entered service.
The Sturgeons were essentially lengthened and improved variants of the Thresher/Permit class that directly preceded them. The five-compartment arrangement of the Permits was retained, including the bow compartment, operations compartment, reactor compartment, auxiliary machinery room no. 2, and the engine room. The extra length was in the operations compartment, including longer torpedo racks to accommodate additional Mark 37 torpedoes, the most advanced in service at the time of the class's design in the late 1950s. The class was redesigned to SUBSAFE requirements concurrently with the construction of the first units, with seawater, main ballast, and other systems modified for improved safety.[1] The biggest difference was the much larger sail, which permitted a second periscope and additional intelligence-gathering masts, and which reduced the risk of the submarine broaching the surface in heavy seas. The fairwater planes mounted on the sail could rotate 90 degrees, allowing the submarine to surface through thin ice.[1] Because the S5W reactor was used (the same as in the Skipjacks and Thresher/Permits), the sail was enlarged (increasing drag), and the displacement was increased, the Sturgeons' top speed was 26 knots (48 km/h), 2 knots slower than the Thresher/Permits. The last nine Sturgeons were lengthened 10 feet (3 m) to provide more space for electronic equipment and habitability. The extra space also helped facilitate the use of dry deck shelters first deployed in 1982.
The class received mid-life upgrades in the 1980s, including the BQQ-5 sonar suite with a retractable towed array, Mk 117 torpedo fire control equipment, and other electronics upgrades.
The Sturgeon-class boats were equipped to carry the Harpoon missile, the Tomahawk cruise missile, the UUM-44 SUBROC, the Mark 67 SLMM and Mark 60 CAPTOR mines, and the MK-48 and ADCAP torpedoes. Torpedo tubes were located amidships to accommodate the bow-mounted sonar. The bow covering the sonar sphere was made from steel or glass reinforced plastic (GRP), both varieties having been produced both booted and not booted. Booted domes are covered with a half-inch layer of rubber.[3][4] The GRP domes improved the bow sonar sphere performance; though for intelligence gathering missions, the towed-array sonar was normally used as it was a much more sensitive array.
Noise reductionedit
Several Sturgeon boats and related submarines were modifications of the original designs to test ways to reduce noise.
Puffer was outfitted with Raytheon Harmonic Power Conditioners which eliminated an electrical bus noise problem that was inherent in the class. This was done by harmonic conditioning of the power system. This successful feature was later outfitted on the entire class.
Batfish and Bluefish among others were outfitted with SHT (Special Hull Treatment) during a non-refueling overhaul, which reduced noise and the submarine sonar profile.
Glenard P. Lipscomb, a one-ship class, was completed using a turbo-electric system for main propulsion rather than a reduction gear drive from the steam turbines. The massive motor and associated generators required her to be lengthened to 365 ft 0 in (111.25 m). The Lipscomb's trial of turbo-electric propulsion was not considered successful due to lower speed - top speed was 23 knots (43 km/h), 5 knots slower than the Thresher/Permits - and a lack of reliability, and she was decommissioned in 1989.[1]
Narwhal, the quietest submarine of her era, had a similar but distinct design to the Sturgeon-class submarines. The Narwhal (SCB 245) and the Sturgeon class (SCB 188A) were developed simultaneously. Forward the Narwhal resembled the Sturgeon-class submarines, but with a relocated diesel generator and slightly greater beam. Aft she had the natural circulationS5G reactor and a direct-drive turbine, along with several other quieting features. Unlike the Sturgeon class, the Narwhal did not fully comply with SUBSAFE regulations due to her unique main seawater system.[5]
Variantsedit
Beginning with Archerfish, units of this class had a 10-foot (3.0 m) longer hull, giving them more living and working space than previous submarines. Parche received an additional 100-foot (30 m) hull extension containing cable tapping equipment that brought her total length to 401 feet (122 m). A number of the long hull Sturgeon-class SSNs, including Parche, L. Mendel Rivers, and Richard B. Russell were involved in top-secret reconnaissance missions, including cable tap operations in the Barents and Okhotsk seas. Parche received nine Presidential Unit Citations for successful missions.[6]
A total of seven boats were modified to carry the SEALDry Deck Shelter (DDS). The DDS is a submersible launch hangar with a lockout chamber attached to the ship's midships weapons shipping hatch, facilitating the use of SEAL Delivery Vehicles. DDS-equipped boats were tasked with the covert insertion of special forces.
^Sontag, Sherry; Drew, Christopher (2000). Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN0-06097-771-X.
^Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 287–289. ISBN0-313-26202-0.
Sourcesedit
Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN1-55750-260-9.
Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 606–607. ISBN1-55750-132-7.
Hutchinson, Robert (2006). Jane's Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day. New Line Books. ISBN1-59764-181-2.
Polmar, Norman (2005). Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines. Potomac Books. ISBN1-57488-530-8.
Polmar, Norman (1983). The American Submarine. Nautical & Aviation. ISBN0-93385-238-X.
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sturgeon class submarines.
fas.org: Sturgeon class
Bellona Report (in Russian)
Photo galleries of US nuclear attack submarines at NavSource.org
Michigan War Studies Review - book reviews, literature surveys, original essays, and commentary in the field of military studies
December 15, 2023
sturgeon, class, submarine, sturgeon, class, known, colloquially, naval, circles, class, class, nuclear, powered, fast, attack, submarines, service, with, united, states, navy, from, 1960s, until, 2004, they, were, workhorses, navy, attack, submarine, fleet, t. The Sturgeon class known colloquially in naval circles as the 637 class was a class of nuclear powered fast attack submarines SSN in service with the United States Navy from the 1960s until 2004 They were the workhorses of the Navy s attack submarine fleet throughout much of the Cold War The boats were phased out in the 1990s and early 21st century as their successors the Los Angeles followed by the Seawolf and Virginia class boats entered service USS SturgeonClass overviewNameSturgeon classBuildersGeneral Dynamics Electric Boat General Dynamics Quincy Ingalls Shipbuilding Portsmouth Naval Shipyard New York Shipbuilding Newport News Shipbuilding Mare Island Naval ShipyardOperators United States NavyPreceded byThresher Permit classSucceeded byLos Angeles classSubclassesLong hull variant 9 boats Built1963 1975In commission1967 2004Completed37 1 modified variant for experimental research Retired37 1 General characteristicsTypeNuclear powered attack submarineDisplacement3 640 long tons 3 698 t surfaced 4 640 long tons 4 714 t submerged 1 LengthShort hull 292 ft 3 in 89 08 m Long hull 302 ft 3 in 92 13 m Beam31 ft 8 in 9 65 m Draft24 ft 5 in 7 44 m 1 Propulsion1 S5W pressurized water reactor 2 steam turbines total 15 000 shp 11 000 kW 1 shaft 1 Speed15 knots 28 km h 17 mph surfaced 26 knots 48 km h 30 mph submergedRangeUnlimited except by food suppliesTest depth1 320 ft 400 m 2 Complement107Armament4 21 inch 533 mm amidship torpedo tubes with up to 21 reload weapons including Mark 48 and Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes typically 4 Harpoon missiles or up to 8 Tomahawk missiles and 2 4 SUBROC anti submarine missiles In minelaying configuration Mark 67 Submarine Launched Mobile Mines and Mark 60 CAPTOR mines instead of torpedoes Contents 1 Design 2 Armament 3 Noise reduction 4 Variants 5 Boats 5 1 Short hull 5 2 Long hull 5 3 Derivatives 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Citations 7 2 Sources 8 External linksDesign edit nbsp Control roomThe Sturgeons were essentially lengthened and improved variants of the Thresher Permit class that directly preceded them The five compartment arrangement of the Permits was retained including the bow compartment operations compartment reactor compartment auxiliary machinery room no 2 and the engine room The extra length was in the operations compartment including longer torpedo racks to accommodate additional Mark 37 torpedoes the most advanced in service at the time of the class s design in the late 1950s The class was redesigned to SUBSAFE requirements concurrently with the construction of the first units with seawater main ballast and other systems modified for improved safety 1 The biggest difference was the much larger sail which permitted a second periscope and additional intelligence gathering masts and which reduced the risk of the submarine broaching the surface in heavy seas The fairwater planes mounted on the sail could rotate 90 degrees allowing the submarine to surface through thin ice 1 Because the S5W reactor was used the same as in the Skipjacks and Thresher Permits the sail was enlarged increasing drag and the displacement was increased the Sturgeons top speed was 26 knots 48 km h 2 knots slower than the Thresher Permits The last nine Sturgeons were lengthened 10 feet 3 m to provide more space for electronic equipment and habitability The extra space also helped facilitate the use of dry deck shelters first deployed in 1982 The class received mid life upgrades in the 1980s including the BQQ 5 sonar suite with a retractable towed array Mk 117 torpedo fire control equipment and other electronics upgrades nbsp USS Pargo SSN 650 surfaced in Arctic ice Armament editThe Sturgeon class boats were equipped to carry the Harpoon missile the Tomahawk cruise missile the UUM 44 SUBROC the Mark 67 SLMM and Mark 60 CAPTOR mines and the MK 48 and ADCAP torpedoes Torpedo tubes were located amidships to accommodate the bow mounted sonar The bow covering the sonar sphere was made from steel or glass reinforced plastic GRP both varieties having been produced both booted and not booted Booted domes are covered with a half inch layer of rubber 3 4 The GRP domes improved the bow sonar sphere performance though for intelligence gathering missions the towed array sonar was normally used as it was a much more sensitive array Noise reduction editSeveral Sturgeon boats and related submarines were modifications of the original designs to test ways to reduce noise Puffer was outfitted with Raytheon Harmonic Power Conditioners which eliminated an electrical bus noise problem that was inherent in the class This was done by harmonic conditioning of the power system This successful feature was later outfitted on the entire class Batfish and Bluefish among others were outfitted with SHT Special Hull Treatment during a non refueling overhaul which reduced noise and the submarine sonar profile Glenard P Lipscomb a one ship class was completed using a turbo electric system for main propulsion rather than a reduction gear drive from the steam turbines The massive motor and associated generators required her to be lengthened to 365 ft 0 in 111 25 m The Lipscomb s trial of turbo electric propulsion was not considered successful due to lower speed top speed was 23 knots 43 km h 5 knots slower than the Thresher Permits and a lack of reliability and she was decommissioned in 1989 1 Narwhal the quietest submarine of her era had a similar but distinct design to the Sturgeon class submarines The Narwhal SCB 245 and the Sturgeon class SCB 188A were developed simultaneously Forward the Narwhal resembled the Sturgeon class submarines but with a relocated diesel generator and slightly greater beam Aft she had the natural circulation S5G reactor and a direct drive turbine along with several other quieting features Unlike the Sturgeon class the Narwhal did not fully comply with SUBSAFE regulations due to her unique main seawater system 5 Variants editBeginning with Archerfish units of this class had a 10 foot 3 0 m longer hull giving them more living and working space than previous submarines Parche received an additional 100 foot 30 m hull extension containing cable tapping equipment that brought her total length to 401 feet 122 m A number of the long hull Sturgeon class SSNs including Parche L Mendel Rivers and Richard B Russell were involved in top secret reconnaissance missions including cable tap operations in the Barents and Okhotsk seas Parche received nine Presidential Unit Citations for successful missions 6 A total of seven boats were modified to carry the SEAL Dry Deck Shelter DDS The DDS is a submersible launch hangar with a lockout chamber attached to the ship s midships weapons shipping hatch facilitating the use of SEAL Delivery Vehicles DDS equipped boats were tasked with the covert insertion of special forces Boats editMain article List of Sturgeon class submarines From Register of Ships of the US Navy 1775 1990 7 Short hull edit Sturgeon SSN 637 Whale SSN 638 Tautog SSN 639 Grayling SSN 646 Pogy SSN 647 Aspro SSN 648 Sunfish SSN 649 Pargo SSN 650 Queenfish SSN 651 Puffer SSN 652 Ray SSN 653 Sand Lance SSN 660 Lapon SSN 661 Gurnard SSN 662 Hammerhead SSN 663 Sea Devil SSN 664 Guitarro SSN 665 Hawkbill SSN 666 Bergall SSN 667 Spadefish SSN 668 Seahorse SSN 669 Finback SSN 670 Pintado SSN 672 Flying Fish SSN 673 Trepang SSN 674 Bluefish SSN 675 Billfish SSN 676 Drum SSN 677 Long hull edit Archerfish SSN 678 DDS Silversides SSN 679 DDS William H Bates SSN 680 ex Redfish DDS Batfish SSN 681 DDS Tunny SSN 682 DDS Parche SSN 683 R amp D Cavalla SSN 684 DDS L Mendel Rivers SSN 686 DDS Richard B Russell SSN 687 Derivatives edit One other Navy vessel was based on the Sturgeon hull but was modified for experimental reasons Glenard P Lipscomb SSN 685 See also editList of submarines of the United States Navy List of submarine classes of the United States NavyReferences editCitations edit a b c d e f Friedman pp 144 149 243 Tyler Patrick 1986 Running Critical New York Harper and Row p 58 Pike John Sonar Domes Military GlobalSecurity org Retrieved 17 May 2011 Coating Systems for Submarine Bow Dome Preservation National Surface Treatment Center Archived from the original on 9 October 2011 Retrieved 17 May 2011 Friedman pp 143 149 Sontag Sherry Drew Christopher 2000 Blind Man s Bluff The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage William Morrow Paperbacks ISBN 0 06097 771 X Bauer K Jack Roberts Stephen S 1991 Register of Ships of the U S Navy 1775 1990 Major Combatants Westport Connecticut Greenwood Press pp 287 289 ISBN 0 313 26202 0 Sources edit Friedman Norman 1994 U S Submarines Since 1945 An Illustrated Design History Annapolis Maryland United States Naval Institute ISBN 1 55750 260 9 Gardiner Robert Chumbley Stephen 1995 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1947 1995 London Conway Maritime Press pp 606 607 ISBN 1 55750 132 7 Hutchinson Robert 2006 Jane s Submarines War Beneath The Waves From 1776 To The Present Day New Line Books ISBN 1 59764 181 2 Polmar Norman 2005 Cold War Submarines The Design and Construction of U S and Soviet Submarines Potomac Books ISBN 1 57488 530 8 Polmar Norman 1983 The American Submarine Nautical amp Aviation ISBN 0 93385 238 X This article includes information collected from theNaval Vessel Register which as a U S government publication is in the public domain External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sturgeon class submarines fas org Sturgeon class Bellona Report in Russian Photo galleries of US nuclear attack submarines at NavSource org Michigan War Studies Review book reviews literature surveys original essays and commentary in the field of military studies Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sturgeon class submarine amp oldid 1184377633, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
