The Sturgeon-class (colloquially in Navy circles, the 637 class) attack submarine (SSN) were the "work horses" of the submarine attack fleet throughout much of the Cold War. They were phased out in the 1990s and early 21st century in favor of the Los Angeles and Virginia classes. Image File history File links USS_Sturgeon_SSN_637. ... Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ... Species See text. ... The James Madison class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the Lafayette class of fleet ballistic missile submarine. ... The Thresher/Permit class of United States Navy submarines was the result of a study commissioned in 1956 by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral Arleigh Burke. ... The Benjamin Franklin class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the James Madison class of fleet ballistic missile submarine. ... The Los Angeles-class attack submarines (SSN) are the most numerous class of nuclear powered submarines built by any nation, and form the bulk of the U.S. attack submarine force as of 2007. ... USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The 21st century is the present century of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... The Los Angeles-class attack submarines (SSN) are the most numerous class of nuclear powered submarines built by any nation, and form the bulk of the U.S. attack submarine force as of 2007. ... The Virginia class (or SSN-774 class) of attack submarines are the first U.S. subs to be designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions around the world. ...

All Sturgeons were designed to surface through ice, with a reinforced sail and diving planes capable of rotating all the way to vertical. Those in Squadron 4 all had modified designs. Sunfish had a polymer bow, which allowed better sonar reception. Batfish had rubber insulation mounted on its hull for quieter operation. Narwhal had electric engines also for quieter operation. USS Sunfish (SSN-649), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Ocean Sunfish Mola mola, a marine species having a deep body truncated behind, and high dorsal and anal fins. ... USS Batfish (SSN-681), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the batfish, any of several fishes: a pediculate fish of the West Indies, the flying gurnard of the Atlantic, or a California stingray. ... 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. ...

Beginning with Archerfish (SSN-678) units of this class had a 10-foot longer hull, giving them more living and working space than previous submarines. Parche (SSN-683) received an addition 100-foot hull extension containing research and development equipment that brought her total length to 401 feet. USS Archerfish (SSN-678), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the archerfish, a family (Toxotidae) of fish notable for their habit of preying on insects and other animals by shooting them down with squirts of water from the mouth. ... USS Parche (SSN-683), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the parche, a small, gorgeously colored butterfly fish, known for its uncanny ability to swim in and around coral heads and reefs. ...

A total of six boats were modified to carry the SEAL Dry Deck Shelter, indicated below by "(DDS)". The DDS is a submersible launch hangar with a hyperbaric chamber attached to the ship's Weapon Shipping Hatch. DDS-equipped boats were tasked with the covert insertion of special forces troops. SEALs in from the water. ... USS Dallas Departing with Dry Deck Shelter Attached A Dry Deck Shelter (DDS) is a removable module that can be attached to a submarine to allow divers easy exit and entrance while the boat is submerged. ... Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the medical use of oxygen at a higher than atmospheric pressure. ...

General Characteristics

• Displacement: 4960 tons submerged
• Length: 292 feet / 89 metres (short hull), 302 feet / 92 metres (long hull), 401 feet / 122 metres (Parche)
• Beam: 32 feet / 9.7 metres
• Propulsion: S5W reactor
• Speed: 25+ knots / 46 km/h submerged
• Depth: 1300 feet /400 metres
• Complement: 107
• Armament: Four torpedo tubes

The Westinghouse Electric Corporations S5W nuclear reactor is a pressurized-water nuclear fission reactor intended to power submarines. ...

Ships

Short Hull

• (SSN-637)  Sturgeon
• (SSN-638)  Whale
• (SSN-639)  Tautog
• (SSN-646)  Grayling
• (SSN-647)  Pogy
• (SSN-648)  Aspro
• (SSN-649)  Sunfish
• (SSN-650)  Pargo
• (SSN-651)  Queenfish
• (SSN-652)  Puffer
• (SSN-653)  Ray
• (SSN-660)  Sand Lance
• (SSN-661)  Lapon
• (SSN-662)  Gurnard
• (SSN-663)  Hammerhead
• (SSN-664)  Sea Devil
• (SSN-665)  Guitarro
• (SSN-666)  Hawkbill
• (SSN-667)  Bergall
• (SSN-668)  Spadefish
• (SSN-669)  Seahorse
• (SSN-670)  Finback
• (SSN-672)  Pintado
• (SSN-673)  Flying Fish
• (SSN-674)  Trepang
• (SSN-675)  Bluefish
• (SSN-676)  Billfish
• (SSN-677)  Drum

USS Sturgeon (SSN-637), the lead ship of her class of nuclear attack submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sturgeon, a large, bony-plated fish with an elongated body that is an important source of caviar and isinglass. ... USS Whale (SSN-638) was a Sturgeon-class submarine nuclear-powered attack submarine of the United States Navy. ... USS Tautog (SSN-639), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tautog, a small, edible, sport fish, also called blackfish or oysterfish, found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... USS Grayling (SSN-646), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the grayling, a fresh-water game fish closely related to the trout. ... USS Pogy (SSN-647), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for a trout found in Lake Tahoe, California. ... USS Aspro (SSN-648), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the aspro, a fish found abundantly in the upper Rhone River. ... USS Sunfish (SSN-649), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Ocean Sunfish Mola mola, a marine species having a deep body truncated behind, and high dorsal and anal fins. ... USS Pargo (SSN-650), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the pargo, a fish of the genus Lutianus found in the West Indies. ... USS Queenfish (SSN-651), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the queenfish, a small, food fish found off the Pacific coast of North America. ... USS Puffer (SSN-652), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the puffer, a fish which inflates its body with air. ... USS Ray (SSN-653), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ray, a fish characterized by a flat body, large pectoral fins, and a whiplike tail. ... USS Sand Lance (SSN-660), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sand lance, a member of the ammodytidae family. ... USS Lapon (SSN-661), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the lapon, a scorpionfish of the Pacific coast of North America. ... USS Gurnard (SSN-662), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the gurnard, a trigloid fish having three pectoral rays, a food fish of the genus Trigla. ... USS Hammerhead (SSN-663), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the hammerhead shark, a voracious fish found in warm seas, with a curious hammerlike head. ... USS Sea Devil (SSN-664), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sea devil (or devil ray) (Manta birostria), the largest of all rays, noted for power and endurance. ... USS Guitarro (SSN-665), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the guitarro, a ray of the guitar-fish family. ... USS Hawkbill (SSN-666), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the hawkbill, a large sea turtle. ... USS Bergall (SSN-667), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bergall, a small fish of the New England coast. ... USS Spadefish (SSN-668), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the spadefish, a spiny-finned fish found in coastal waters of the western Atlantic from Cuba to Cape Cod. ... USS Seahorse (SSN-669), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second submarine and third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seahorse, a small fish whose head and upper body suggest the head and neck of a horse. ... USS Finback (SSN-670), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the finback, the common whale of the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... USS Pintado (SSN-672), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the pintado, a large mackerel-like fish, whose elongated spots suggested the Spanish language word meaning painted. ... USS Flying Fish (SSN-673), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the flying fish, any of number of fishes of tropic and warm temperate seas whose long winglike fins make it possible for them to move some distance through... USS Trepang (SSN-674), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the trepang, a marine animal having a long, tough, muscular body, sometimes called a sea slug or a sea cucumber, found in the coral reefs of the East Indies. ... USS Bluefish (SSN-675), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bluefish. ... USS Billfish (SSN-676), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the billfish, any fish, such as gar or spearfish, with bill-shaped jaws. ... USS Drum (SSN-677), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for any of various fishes capable of making a drumming noise, best known on the Atlantic coast. ...

Long Hull

• (SSN-678)  Archerfish (DDS)
• (SSN-679)  Silversides (DDS)
• (SSN-680)  William H. Bates (ex-Redfish) (DDS)
• (SSN-681)  Batfish (DDS)
• (SSN-682)  Tunny (DDS)
• (SSN-683)  Parche (R&D)
• (SSN-684)  Cavalla (DDS)
• (SSN-686)  L. Mendel Rivers (DDS)
• (SSN-687)  Richard B. Russell

USS Archerfish (SSN-678), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the archerfish, a family (Toxotidae) of fish notable for their habit of preying on insects and other animals by shooting them down with squirts of water from the mouth. ... USS Silversides (SSN-679), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the silversides, a small fish marked with a silvery stripe along each side of its body. ... USS (SSN-680), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was to be named Redfish when the contract to build her was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi on 25 June 1968. ... USS Batfish (SSN-681), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the batfish, any of several fishes: a pediculate fish of the West Indies, the flying gurnard of the Atlantic, or a California stingray. ... USS Tunny (SSN-682), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second submarine of the United States Navy to be named for the tunny, any of several oceanic fishes resembling the mackerel. ... USS Parche (SSN-683), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the parche, a small, gorgeously colored butterfly fish, known for its uncanny ability to swim in and around coral heads and reefs. ... USS Cavalla (SSN-684), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the cavalla, a salt water fish of the pompano family inhabiting waters off the eastern coast of the Americas from Cape Cod to Rio de la Plata. ... USS (SSN-686), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for L. Mendel Rivers. ... USS (SSN-687), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the only submarine of the United States Navy to be named for Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr. ...

Derivatives

Two other Navy vessels were based on the Sturgeon hull, but were modified for experimental reasons:

• (SSN-671)  Narwhal
• (SSN-685)  Glenard P. Lipscomb

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. ...

External links

• fas.org: Sturgeon class
• Bellona Report - (Russian source)

See Also

United States Navy Portal