LOS ANGELES CLASS SUBMARINE

''Los Angeles''-class attack submarine
USS ''Greeneville'' off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Class Overview
Class Type	Attack Submarine
Class Name	In Honor of Los Angeles, California
Preceded By	Chronologically: ''Benjamin Franklin''-class ballistic missile submarine USS ''Narwhal'' USS ''Glenard P. Lipscomb'' By Type: ''Sturgeon''-class attack submarine
Succeeded By	Chronologically: ''Ohio''-class ballistic missile submarine By Type: ''Seawolf''-class attack submarine
Ships of the Class:	List of Los Angeles class submarines

The ' ''Los Angeles'' class' is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet, and is the most numerous class of nuclear powered submarine in the world. They were preceded by the ''Sturgeon'' class and followed by the short-lived ''Seawolf'' class and the ''Virginia'' class. Usually named after U.S. cities, the ''LA'' class broke a long-standing Navy tradition of naming attack submarines after sea creatures. The boats are also colloquially referred to as "''688''-class" subs, after the hull classification symbol of the first boat, SSN-688.
''LA''-class submarines have a publicly acknowledged top speed in excess of 25 knots (46 km/h, 29 mph); the precise speed is classified. They carry about 25 torpedo-tube launched weapons, and all boats of the class are capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles horizontally (from the torpedo tubes). The last 31 boats of this class also have 12 dedicated vertical launch (VLS) tubes for launching Tomahawks.
The final 23 boats in the series, referred to as "688i", are quieter than their predecessors, incorporate a more advanced combat system, and are configured for under-ice operations (with diving planes on the bow and a reinforced sail). The Navy is phasing out older non-VLS ''Los Angeles''-class attack submarines in favor of the ''Virginia''-class attack submarines.
''Los Angeles''-class submarines have been involved in a number of major submarine incidents.

Contents

Specifications

Boats

Further information

Specifications

★ Builders: GD Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding

★ Displacement: 6,927 tons submerged

★ Length: 360 ft (110 m)

★ Beam: 33 ft (10 m)

★ Draft: 32 ft (9.7 m)

★ Armament:

★
★ 4 × 21 in (533 mm) forward torpedo tubes

★
★ on SSNs 719–725 and 750–773, 12 Vertical Launch System tubes

★ Propulsion: S6G reactor

★ Speed: 25+ knots (46 km/h) submerged

★ Depth: greater than 800 ft (240 m)

★ Complement: 140

Boats

Main articles: List of Los Angeles class submarines

Further information

★ GlobalSecurity.org -- SSN-688 Los Angeles-class

★ Role of the Modern Submarine

★ World War II Submarine Veterans Oral History Project

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