Naval History and Heritage Command
U.S. Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarines
|
Length |
Beam |
Draft |
Submerged Displacement |
Torpedoes |
Missiles |
Crew |
Speed |
George Washington-class |
381.6 feet |
33.1 feet |
28.9 feet |
6,700 tons |
12 |
16 Polaris |
12 officers 128 enlisted |
15 knots surfaced 20 knots submerged |
Ethan Allen-class |
410.4 feet |
33.1 feet |
29.9 feet |
7,900 tons |
12 |
16 Polaris |
12 officers 128 enlisted |
15 knots surfaced 20 knots submerged |
Lafayette-class |
425 feet |
33 feet |
31.5 feet |
8,250 tons |
12 |
16 Polaris or Poseidon |
13 officers 130 enlisted |
16–20 knots surfaced 22–25 knots submerged |
James Madison-class
|
425 feet |
33 feet |
31.5 feet |
8,250 tons |
12 |
16 Polaris or Poseidon |
13 officers 130 enlisted |
16–20 knots surfaced 22–25 knots submerged |
Benjamin Franklin-class
|
425 feet |
33 feet |
31.5 feet |
8,250 tons |
13 |
16 Polaris or Poseidon |
13 officers 130 enlisted |
16–20 knots surfaced 22–25 knots submerged |
* * *
Currently on Patrol |
Length |
Beam |
Draft |
Submerged Displacement |
Torpedoes |
Missiles |
Crew |
Speed |
560 feet |
42 feet |
36.5 feet |
18,750 tons |
12–13 Mk-48 |
24 Trident I or Trident II |
17 officers 137 enlisted |
12 knots surfaced 25 knots submerged |
*Ohio (SSGN-729), Michigan (SSGN-727), Florida (SSGN-728), and Georgia (SSGN-729) have been converted into guided missile submarines (SSGNs) and no longer carry ballistic missiles.
* * *
First Patrol Scheduled in 2031 |
Length |
Beam |
Draft |
Submerged Displacement |
Torpedoes |
Missiles |
Crew |
Speed |
Columbia-class |
560 feet |
43 feet |
N/A |
20,810 tons |
N/A |
16 Trident II |
17 officers 137 enlisted |
N/A |
─Randall Fortson, NHHC Histories and Archives Division, February 2021
_______________________________________________
Federation of American Scientists. Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles; United States Nuclear Forces Guide. https://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/slbm.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute, 1994.
Polmar, Norman. Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945–2001. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2004.
