SSN (US Navy)
Encyclopedia
SSN is the United States Navy
hull classification symbol
for a general-purpose fast attack submarine
. The SS denotes a submarine
, and N denotes nuclear power.
. Designed during the Cold War
the Los Angeles class boats' raison d'etre was to protect USN carrier battle groups and to hunt Soviet Navy
SSBNs before they could launch a first strike against the United States.
The first ever major combat action involving an SSN was during the 1982 Falklands War
. An Argentinian cruiser, ARA General Belgrano
was sunk by torpedoes fired by the Royal Navy fleet submarine . After that incident, the Argentinian Navy was effectively confined to port.
Since the end of the Cold War, SSNs have evolved into multi-mission submarines. Their roles include submarine launched cruise missile
platforms, intelligence gathering platforms, insertion and exfiltration of special forces
teams in addition to traditional hunter-killer SSN roles.
The advantages of an SSN over a conventionally powered SSK are much longer endurance (limited more by the crew than the boat), higher speed, and extremely quiet operation. Unlike most SSKs, SSNs do not have to surface periodically for air, which would compromise their stealth. These considerations are less significant for modern conventional submarines: LOX
and Stirling engine
powered vessels can cruise underwater for up to a week and are significantly quieter than nuclear submarines, since they do not need to run the powerful (and noisy) pumps associated with the cooling circuits of pressurized water reactors.
The main disadvantages of an SSN are the technological challenges and huge expense of building, refuelling and maintaining a nuclear power
plant. Nuclear submarines are also a political problem, as some countries refuse to accept nuclear-powered vessels as a matter of policy. Furthermore, decommissioned
nuclear submarines require costly dismantling and long term storage of the radioactive waste
.
The following navies currently operate SSNs:
- 6 in service out of 7 built - 2 in service out of 7 ordered
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
for a general-purpose fast attack submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
. The SS denotes a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, and N denotes nuclear power.
History
The US Navy (USN) submarine fleet has been all-nuclear powered for over two decades. The bulk of the USN's SSN fleet has been the Los Angeles-class attack submarineLos 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 United States submarine fleet. With 43 submarines on active duty and 19 retired, the Los Angeles class is the most numerous nuclear powered...
. Designed during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
the Los Angeles class boats' raison d'etre was to protect USN carrier battle groups and to hunt Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
SSBNs before they could launch a first strike against the United States.
The first ever major combat action involving an SSN was during the 1982 Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. An Argentinian cruiser, ARA General Belgrano
ARA General Belgrano
The ARA General Belgrano was an Argentine Navy light cruiser in service from 1951 until 1982. Formerly the , she saw action in the Pacific theater of World War II before being sold to Argentina. After almost 31 years of service, she was sunk during the Falklands War by the Royal Navy submarine ...
was sunk by torpedoes fired by the Royal Navy fleet submarine . After that incident, the Argentinian Navy was effectively confined to port.
Since the end of the Cold War, SSNs have evolved into multi-mission submarines. Their roles include submarine launched cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
platforms, intelligence gathering platforms, insertion and exfiltration of special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
teams in addition to traditional hunter-killer SSN roles.
The advantages of an SSN over a conventionally powered SSK are much longer endurance (limited more by the crew than the boat), higher speed, and extremely quiet operation. Unlike most SSKs, SSNs do not have to surface periodically for air, which would compromise their stealth. These considerations are less significant for modern conventional submarines: LOX
Liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:...
and Stirling engine
Stirling engine
A Stirling engine is a heat engine operating by cyclic compression and expansion of air or other gas, the working fluid, at different temperature levels such that there is a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical work....
powered vessels can cruise underwater for up to a week and are significantly quieter than nuclear submarines, since they do not need to run the powerful (and noisy) pumps associated with the cooling circuits of pressurized water reactors.
The main disadvantages of an SSN are the technological challenges and huge expense of building, refuelling and maintaining a nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
plant. Nuclear submarines are also a political problem, as some countries refuse to accept nuclear-powered vessels as a matter of policy. Furthermore, decommissioned
Nuclear decommissioning
Nuclear decommissioning is the dismantling of a nuclear power plant and decontamination of the site to a state no longer requiring protection from radiation for the general public...
nuclear submarines require costly dismantling and long term storage of the radioactive waste
Radioactive waste
Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...
.
The following navies currently operate SSNs:
- United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
- French NavyFrench NavyThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
- People's Liberation Army NavyPeople's Liberation Army NavyThe People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
of China - Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
of the United Kingdom - Russian Navy
United States Navy SSN classes (in service)
- Los Angeles (SSN-688)Los Angeles class submarineThe 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 United States submarine fleet. With 43 submarines on active duty and 19 retired, the Los Angeles class is the most numerous nuclear powered...
(some have been retired) - Seawolf (SSN-21)Seawolf class submarineThe Seawolf class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy. The class was the intended successor to the , ordered at the end of the Cold War in 1989. At one time, an intended fleet of 29 submarines was to be built over a ten-year period, later...
- Virginia (SSN-774)Virginia class submarineThe Virginia class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy. The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions...
Royal Navy SSN classes (in service)
Known as "fleet submarines" in the RNRussian Navy SSN classes (in service)
- Victor III class submarine
- Sierra I and Sierra II class submarinesSierra class submarineThe Sierra I class or Project 945 nuclear submarine was the Soviet Union's successor class to the partly successful Project 705 Lira class submarine...
- Akula class submarineAkula class submarineProject 971 Щука-Б , is a nuclear-powered attack submarine first deployed by the Soviet Navy in 1986...
- Graney class submarineGraney class submarineThe Yasen-class submarine , also known in the literature as the Graney class and Severodvinsk class, is a new Russian nuclear multipurpose attack submarine class...
- in development
People's Liberation Army Navy SSN classes (in service)
- Han class submarine (Type 091)
- Type 093 submarine
- Type 095Type 095 submarineThe Type 095 is a proposed class of third generation nuclear-powered attack submarines for the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China....
submarine - in development
Royal Navy
- HMS DreadnoughtHMS Dreadnought (S101)The seventh HMS Dreadnought was the United Kingdom's first nuclear-powered submarine, built by Vickers Armstrongs at Barrow-in-Furness. Launched by Queen Elizabeth II on Trafalgar Day 1960 and commissioned into service with the Royal Navy in April 1963, she continued in service until 1980...
- the Royal Navy's first nuclear powered fleet submarine - Valiant class submarineValiant class submarineThe Valiant class were a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines in service with the Royal Navy from the mid 1960s until 1994. They were the first fully British nuclear fleet submarine; the earlier used an American nuclear reactor...
- decommissioned 1990s - Churchill class submarineChurchill class submarineThe three Improved Valiant class submarines, sometimes known as the Churchill class, were nuclear powered fleet submarines which served with the Royal Navy from the 1970s until the early 1990s...
(of which HMS Conqueror was one) - decommissioned 1990s - Swiftsure class submarineSwiftsure class submarineThe Swiftsure class were a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines in service with the Royal Navy from the early 1970s until 2010....
- last one decommissioned in 2010
Russian/Soviet Navy
- November classNovember class submarineThe Project 627 class submarine was the Soviet Union's first class of nuclear-powered submarines. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization used the standard radio communication phonetic alphabet to denote submarine classes...
- Mike classSoviet submarine K-278 KomsomoletsK-278 Komsomolets was the only Project 685 Плавник nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Soviet Navy. The boat sank in 1989 and is currently resting on the floor of the Barents Sea, one mile deep, with its nuclear reactor and two nuclear warheads still on board...
- the ill-fated K-278 Komsomolets - Alfa classAlfa class submarineThe Soviet Union/Russian Navy Project 705 was a class of hunter/killer nuclear powered submarines. The class is also known by the NATO reporting name of Alfa...
United States Navy
(unique) (unique)- Skate (SSN-578)Skate class submarineThe Skate-class submarines were the United States Navy's first production run of nuclear powered submarines. They were an evolution of the Tang class in everything but their propulsion plants, which were based on the experimental . The four Skate class boats re-introduced stern torpedo tubes...
- Skipjack (SSN-585)Skipjack class submarineThe Skipjack class was a class of United States Navy nuclear submarines. This class was named after its lead ship, the . This new class introduced the teardrop hull and the S5W reactor to U.S. nuclear submarines. The Skipjacks were the fastest U.S...
- USS Triton (SSN-586)USS Triton (SSRN-586)USS Triton , a United States Navy nuclear-powered radar picket submarine, was the first vessel to execute a submerged circumnavigation of the Earth , doing so in early 1960. Triton accomplished this objective during her shakedown cruise while under the command of Captain Edward L. "Ned" Beach, Jr...
(unique) - USS Halibut (SSN-587)USS Halibut (SSGN-587)USS Halibut , a unique guided missile submarine turned special operations platform, later redesignated as an attack submarine SSN-587, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the halibut.-Operational history:...
- USS Thresher/Permit (SSN-593) (unique)
- Sturgeon (SSN-637)Sturgeon class submarineThe Sturgeon class were a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy from the 1960s until 2004. They were the "work horses" of the submarine attack fleet throughout much of the Cold War...
(unique) (unique)
See also
- SSSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
- SSB/SSBNBallistic missile submarineA ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
- SSG
- SSGN
- List of submarine classes
- List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy
- List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes
- List of United States submarine classes