![]() ![]() ![]() In the modified 688 design, the 688i, the forward diving planes were moved from the sail to the bow. The aft contains the engineering system, power generation turbines, and water-making equipment. Two watertight compartments are used, the forward compartment being where the crew lives and equipped with weapons handling spaces and control spaces. Thirty of the boats are equipped with 12 vertical launch systems tubes for firing Tomahawk cruise misses. The class carries about 25 torpedo tube launched weapons. The maximum operating depth is 650ft but of course, this information is also classified, with the diving depths probably being greater. The actual top speed of the Los Angeles class is classified with official records saying over 25 knots. These namings were a departure from the tradition of naming attack submarines for ocean creatures. The boats are all named after American towns and cities except for the USS Hyman G. The class has more active nuclear submarine than any other. This led to the development of the Seawolf class.Īs of 2018, 40 of the Los Angeles class submarines are still in service. Despite depth sacrifice, the Los Angeles class improved the fleet’s acoustic performance and led to a new knowledge of sound and speed. The idea was approved, and full design conception was awarded to Newport News. This was an issue that the committee thought would eventually be solved – it wasn’t. However, to gain this speed, diving depth was sacrificed. The new design could set speeds of 32 knots. The SSN 688 was developed by this secret group in 90 days. A little over a month after the Enterprise incident, seven submarine commanders met in secret with Rickover to come up with America’s next new nuclear submarine. It was too large, too noisy and too expensive. The opposition was quick to Rickover’s high-speed design. worst fears- the old submarine class in the Soviet Navy was faster than any of the U.S. This race was confirming some of the U.S. At this point, the submarine was breaking all known speed records for its type. Two days later, the Soviet sub was still in pursuit of the surface ship. As she gained speed, the Enterprise believed she would outrun the Soviet sub at top speed in no time. The Enterprise was given the order to race the Soviet submarine. The Enterprise encounter gave Rickover his opportunity to show the importance of increasing submarine speeds to his superiors. Since 1964, Rickover had secretly been working on adapting a large surface-ship reactor and propulsion plant for submarine use. In order to do this, development of compact high-energy nuclear reactors would be needed. At this time, speed was the name of the game. Nonetheless, it was a concern to Rickover and the United States. ![]() While their submarines might have been faster, the quick delivery of the fleet was leading to faulty ships and numerous problems. They were building nuclear subs at an unprecedented rate. Rickover knew that the United States would have to do something about the Soviets. Rickover was one of the first to hear the report of the Soviet submarine off the coast of California that January. While the Los Angeles Class of submarines proved to have numerous problems, it doesn’t change the fact that Admiral Rickover and his nuclear navy was always striving to make a stronger, more stealth submarine force. It was a war not covered by the media, blacked out as it was by layers of classification, but it was a war nonetheless, one in which nuclear submarines hunted each other throughout the oceans -stalking, aiming and firing imaginary torpedoes as practice for the day when it all could be real.” But this simple encounter paved the way for a new submarine design, one that could outweigh that of the Soviet Navy. When the Washington Post described it, they said, “Unlike the war going on in Vietnam, at sea there was no daily carnage, no body bags, nor even any causal ties. This encounter, while inexplosive or newsworthy, was a sign of a new type of warfare. That could only mean one thing – a Soviet nuclear attack submarine was in the area. As the Enterprise inched closer, the Soviet trawler sent out a signal that was intercepted by intelligence. ![]()
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