SKATE CLASS SUBMARINE

''Skate'' class attack submarine
USS ''Sargo'' at the North Pole
Class Overview
Class Type	Fast Attack Submarine
Class Name	Skate (a type of ray)
Preceded By	''Grayback''-class attack submarine USS ''Seawolf''
Succeeded By	''Barbel''-class fast attack submarine
Ships of the Class:	''Skate, Swordfish, Sargo, Seadragon''

The '''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 USS ''Nautilus''. The four Skate class boats re-introduced stern torpedo tubes. Although among the smallest nuclear powered attack submarines ever built, the Skate class served for several decades, with the last being decommissioned in 1989. USS Skate (SSN-578) was the first submarine to surface in the North Pole, on March 17, 1959.
''Skate'' and ''Sargo'' were built with the S3W reactor[1][2], ''Swordfish'' and ''Seadragon'' with the S4W reactor[3][4]. Later, all were given the S5W reactor[5].

Contents

General characteristics

Ships

References

General characteristics

★ Displacement: 2250 tons surfaced, 2850 tons dived

★ Length: 81.5 m (267 ft 7 in)

★ Beam: 7.6 m (25 ft)

★ Draft: 6.5 m (21 ft 3 in)

★ Depth: 700 feet (213 m)

★ Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h) surfaced, 22 knots (41 km/h) submerged

★ Complement: 84 officers and men

★ Armament: 4 x 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes, two stern

Ships

★ ''Skate'' (SSN-578)

★ ''Swordfish'' (SSN-579)

★ ''Sargo'' (SSN-583)

★ ''Seadragon'' (SSN-584)

References

Miller, David. ''The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World''. Pg 366. ISBN 0-7603-1345-8.