Benjamin Franklin class ballistic missile submarine
Class Overview
Class Type	Ballistic Missile Submarine
Class Name	In honor of Benjamin Franklin
Preceded By	Chronologically: Sturgeon-class attack submarine By Type: James Madison-class ballistic missile submarine
Succeded By	Chronologically: USS Narwhal USS Glenard P. Lipscomb Los Angeles-class attack submarine By Type Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine
Ships of the Class:	See the list below for the ships of the Benjamin Franklin class

The Benjamin Franklin class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the James Madison class of fleet ballistic missile submarine. Having quieter machinery and other improvements, they are considered a separate class. Together with the George Washington, the Ethan Allen, the Lafayette, and the James Madison classes, they comprised the "41 for Freedom." This image is a temporary placeholder for articles(mostly those utilizing the table from Wikipedia:WikiProject Ships/Tables) which still need a picture to illustrate them. ... USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Baptiste Greuze 1777 For the former mayor of Nepean, see Ben Franklin (politician) Dr. Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was an American printer, journalist, publisher, author, philanthropist, hypocritical abolitionist, public servant, statesman, scientist, librarian, diplomat and inventor. ... The Sturgeon-class attack submarine (SSN) were the ships of the line of the submarine attack fleet throughout the Cold War. ... The James Madison class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the Lafayette class of fleet ballistic missile submarine. ... USS Narwhal (SSN-671), a unique submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the narwhal, a gray and white arctic whale that averages 20 feet in length, each of the males of which have single, long, twisted tusk. ... USS (SSN-685), a unique submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for that Congressman. ... The Los Angeles-class attack submarines (SSN) is the most numerous class of nuclear powered submarines built by any nation, and forms the bulk of the U.S. attack submarine force as of 2004. ... The United States has 18 Ohio class submarines: 14 nuclear-powered SSBNs, each armed with 24 Trident II SLBMs; they are also known as Trident submarines, and provide the sea-based leg of the triad of the United States strategic deterrent forces 4 nuclear-powered SSGNs, each armed with 154... The James Madison class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the Lafayette class of fleet ballistic missile submarine. ... The George Washington class of United States Navy submarine were the first ballistic missile submarines in the world. ... The Ethan Allen class of fleet ballistic missile submarine was an evolutionary development from the George Washington class. ... The Lafayette class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the Ethan Allen class of fleet ballistic missile submarine, slightly larger and generally improved. ... The James Madison class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the Lafayette class of fleet ballistic missile submarine. ...

The Franklin class submarines were built with the Polaris A-3, and later converted to carry the Poseidon C-3. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, select units were further modified to carry Trident-I (C-4) missiles. The Polaris Missile was a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) carrying a nuclear warhead developed during the Cold War for the United States Navy. ... The Poseidon missile was the second US Navy ballistic missile system, powered by a two-stage solid fuel rocket. ... Ohio-class submarine launches Trident ICBMs (US Navy graphic) The Trident missile is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which is armed with nuclear warheads and is launched from submarines (SSBNs), making it a SLBM. The Trident was built in two variants: the I (C4) UGM-93A and II (D5) UGM...

In the early 1980s, to make room for the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines within the limits set by SALT II, the missile tubes of Kamehameha and James K. Polk were disabled. Those boats were redesignated special operations attack submarines and given SSN hull classification symbols. // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... The United States has 18 Ohio class submarines: 14 nuclear-powered SSBNs, each armed with 24 Trident II SLBMs; they are also known as Trident submarines, and provide the sea-based leg of the triad of the United States strategic deterrent forces 4 nuclear-powered SSGNs, each armed with 154... SALT II was a second round of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks from 1972-1979 between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which sought to curtail the manufacture of strategic nuclear weapons. ... USS Kamehameha (SSBN/SSN-642), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Kamehameha I of Hawaii. ... USS (SSBN-645), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the eleventh President of the United States. ... The United States Navy uses hull classification symbols (sometimes called hull codes) to identify the types of its ships. ...

Boats

(Boats marked with * indicate C-4 conversions.)

• (SSBN-640) USS Benjamin Franklin *
• (SSBN-641) USS Simon Bolivar *
• (SSBN/SSN-642) USS Kamehameha
• (SSBN-643) USS George Bancroft *
• (SSBN-644) USS Lewis and Clark
• (SSBN/SSN-645) USS James K. Polk
• (SSBN-654) USS George C. Marshall
• (SSBN-655) USS Henry L. Stimson *
• (SSBN-656) USS George W. Carver
• (SSBN-657) USS Francis Scott Key *
• (SSBN-658) USS Mariano G. Vallejo *
• (SSBN-659) USS Will Rogers

USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640), the lead ship of her class of ballistic missile submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the American journalist, publisher, author, philanthropist, abolitionist, public servant, scientist, librarian, diplomat, and inventor. ... USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Simón Bolívar, a hero of the independence movements of the former Spanish colonies in South America. ... USS Kamehameha (SSBN/SSN-642), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Kamehameha I of Hawaii. ... USS George Bancroft (SSBN-643), a Benjamin Franklin-class ballistic missile submarine, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft, the founder of the United States Naval Academy, though the first three were known simply as Bancroft. ... USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN-644), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. ... USS (SSBN-645), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the eleventh President of the United States. ... USS (SSBN-654), a Benjamin Franklin-class ballistic missile submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for General of the Army George C. Marshall. ... USS (SSBN-655), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for that statesman. ... USS George Washington Carver (SSBN/SSN-656), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the researcher and inventor. ... USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657), a Benjamin Franklin-class ballistic missile submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Francis Scott Key, the author of the poem The Defense of Fort McHenry, the first verse of became known as The Star-Spangled Banner. ... USS (SSBN-658), a Benjamin Franklin-class ballistic missile submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, a key proponent of California statehood. ... USS Will Rogers (SSBN-659), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the humorist. ...