Los Angeles-class

SCB 303 Type design. This is the largest single class of nuclear submarines ever built by any nation. Built by two yards (Newport News-Tenneco and General Dynamics Electric Boat) over a period of 22 years. Originally planned as a single high-speed prototype by the late Admiral Hymen G. Rickover, the Los Angeles-class has become the backbone of the US Navy's submarine force. They are not without vices though. The hull had to be thinned to accommodate growth in the S6G reactor, limiting the maximum depth. In addition, they lack sufficient berthing space for the entire crew, requiring sharing or "hot-bunking". Three distinct groups have been built. The Flight I boats (SSN-688 thru SSN-718) were the baseline and were armed only with torpedo tubes. The Flight II boats (SSN-719 thru SSN-750) added 12 Mk 36 vertical launch tubes for Tomahawk cruise missiles. The final group, called 688is for "Improved" (SSN-751 thru SSN-773), added a number of improvements, including the first BSY-1 combat system, improved quieting, under-ice capabilities, bow-mounted dive planes, and the first mining capability. Despite their shortcomings, the 688s will be the primary submarine of the US Navy for at least the next 20 years. The sensor and other data is for a 688i.

Structural/Powerplant

Hull formed from HY-80 steel with a fiberglass sonar dome. Powered by a single General Electric S6G nuclear reactor with two steam turbines generating 35,000 SHP to a single seven-bladed propeller. Also has one Fairbanks-Morse 38D8Q diesel engine for emergencies.

Weapons

Four - 21"/533 mm Mk 67 torpedo tubes with 26 weapons (Mk 48 and Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes, UGM-84 Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles, and R/BGM-109 Tomahawk anti-shipping and attack missiles. 12 (in SSN 719 and later) - Mk 36 vertical launch tubes for R/BGM-109 Tomahawk.

Countermeasures

WRL-9/12 acoustic intercept reliever, WLR-8 (V)2, WLR-10, WRL-1H, and WSQ-5 radio/radar intercept relievers and two CSA Mk 1 decoy/countermeasures launchers.

Sensors

BSY-1 combat system with BQQ-5D and BQG-5D sonars, BQS-15 under-ice sonar, BQR-15 and TB-23 or TB-29 towed sonar arrays, BPS-15A or BPS-16 navigation radar and two periscopes.