Ethan Allen-class submarine: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Ship Class Overview |
{{Infobox Ship Class Overview |
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Revision as of 21:06, 31 August 2009
 The USS Ethan Allen
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | list error: <br /> list (help) General Dynamics Electric Boat Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Operators |  United States |
| Preceded by | George Washington-class ballistic missile submarine |
| Succeeded by | Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine |
| Built | 1959–1963 |
| In commission | 1961–1992 |
| Completed | 5 |
| Retired | 5 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ballistic Missile Submarine |
| Displacement | approx. 7,900 tons submerged |
| Length | 410 ft 4 in (125.1 m) |
| Beam | 33.1 ft (10.1 m) |
| Draft | 27 ft 5 in (8.4 m) |
| Propulsion | S5W reactor - two geared steam turbines - one shaft |
| Speed | 16 knots surfaced, 21 knots (24 mph/39 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth | 1,300 ft (400 m) |
| Complement | 12 Officers and 128 Enlisted (two crews Blue and Gold) |
| Armament | 16 fleet ballistic missiles, 4 x 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes |
The Ethan Allen class of fleet ballistic missile submarine was an evolutionary development from the George Washington class. Together with the George Washington, the Lafayette, the James Madison, and the Benjamin Franklin classes, they comprised the "41 for Freedom."
Rather than being designed as Skipjack-class attack submarines with a missile compartment added, the Ethan Allens were designed from scratch as fleet ballistic missile submarines carrying the Polaris A-2 missile. In the early and mid-1970s, they were further upgraded to Polaris A3s. They were unable to be modified to carry the larger diameter Poseidon missile,[1] and were refitted as SSNs (attack submarines), with the missile tubes being filled with concrete and their fire control systems being removed in the early 1980s. Two were further converted to carry SEALs, accommodating 67 troops each. The Ethan Allen class submarines were decommissioned between 1983 and 1992.[2] All have now been broken up.
Boats
- USS Ethan Allen (SSBN-608)
- USS Sam Houston (SSBN-609)
- USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610)
- USS John Marshall (SSBN-611)
- USS Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618)
- (Note out-of-sequence numbering.)
In fiction
In the Tom Clancy novel Hunt for Red October the Ethan Allen (by now old and ready to be broken up), is detonated near the Red October in order to convince the Soviets that the fictional Typhoon had been destroyed.
See also
- 41 for Freedom Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines
References
- Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen (editors). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
- Polmar, Norman. The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet: Twelfth Edition. London:Arms and Armour Press, 1981. ISBN 0-85368-397-2.