Lafayette-class submarine

USS Woodrow Wilson
USS Woodrow Wilson
Lafayette-class submarine USS Woodrow Wilson
Class overview
NameLafayette class
Builders
Operators United States Navy
Preceded byEthan Allen class
Succeeded byJames Madison class
Built1961–1964 [1]
In commission1963–1994 [1]
Completed9
Retired9
Preserved1 (as training vessel)
General characteristics
TypeNuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
DisplacementSurfaced: 7,325 long tons (7,443 t) Submerged: 8,251 long tons (8,383 t)[2]
Length425 ft (130 m) [1]
Beam33 ft (10 m) [1]
Draft28 ft 6 in (8.69 m)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 16 knots (30 km/h) surfaced
  • 21 knots (39 km/h) submerged[2]
Test depth1,300 feet (400 m)[2]
ComplementTwo crews of 14 officers and 126 enlisted[2]
Armament16 Polaris A2/A3 or Poseidon C3 missiles, 4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes[2]

The Lafayette class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the Ethan Allen class of fleet ballistic missile submarine, slightly larger and generally improved. This class, together with the George Washington, Ethan Allen, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin classes, composed the "41 for Freedom," the Navy's primary contribution to the nuclear deterrent force through the late 1980s. The James Madison and Benjamin Franklin classes are combined with the Lafayettes in some references.

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "SSBN-616 Lafayette-Class FBM Submarines" from the FAS Archived 2012-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b c d e f Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 199–203, 244. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.