James Madison-class submarine

James Madison-class submarine. The **James Madison class** was a group of ten ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) constructed for the United States Navy during the 1960s. As a direct follow-on to the Lafayette-class submarine, these vessels formed a critical component of the United States' strategic nuclear deterrent force throughout the Cold War. They were initially armed with the UGM-27 Polaris A3 missile before being refitted to carry the more advanced UGM-73 Poseidon system.

Design and development

The **James Madison class** was developed as an incremental improvement over the preceding Lafayette-class submarine, sharing the same basic hull design and S5W reactor propulsion plant. The primary design focus was to accommodate the newer, longer-range UGM-27 Polaris A3 Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Key modifications included strengthening the missile tubes and updating the navigation and Fire-control systems to support the updated weapon. Construction was split between the nation's two major naval shipyards, General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut and Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. The class was authorized as part of the continuous build-up of the 41 for Freedom fleet, America's first generation of SSBNs.

Service history

Entering service between 1964 and 1967, the **James Madison-class** boats immediately began conducting strategic deterrent patrols, operating primarily in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Their service was defined by the intense geopolitical pressures of the Cold War, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and periods of heightened tension with the Soviet Union. In the early 1970s, the entire class underwent the Poseidon conversion program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and other facilities, significantly enhancing their retaliatory strike capability. Throughout the 1980s, they were gradually replaced by the larger Ohio-class submarine armed with Trident missiles. The last **James Madison-class** submarine was decommissioned in 1995, with several hulls subsequently disposed of via the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

Specifications

The **James Madison-class** submarines had a length of 425 feet and a beam of 33 feet. They were powered by a single S5W reactor driving two steam turbines and a single propeller shaft. Their armament consisted of 16 launch tubes for UGM-27 Polaris and later UGM-73 Poseidon missiles, along with four 21-inch torpedo tubes located in the bow for Mark 48 torpedoes. Each boat operated with two alternating crews, a Blue crew and a Gold crew, a system pioneered by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover to maximize operational availability. The complement for each crew was approximately 140 officers and enlisted sailors.

Ships in class

All ten submarines were named for notable American figures, primarily signers of the United States Constitution. * USS James Madison (SSBN-627) * USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628) * USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629) * USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630) * USS Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631) * USS Von Steuben (SSBN-632) * USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633) * USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634) * USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) * USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636)

See also

* Ballistic missile submarine * 41 for Freedom * Lafayette-class submarine * Benjamin Franklin-class submarine * UGM-73 Poseidon * United States Navy

Category:Ballistic missile submarine classes Category:Submarine classes of the United States Navy Category:Cold War submarines of the United States