The Sturgeon-class attack submarine (SSN) were the "ships of the line" of the submarine attack fleet throughout the Cold War. They were phased out in the 1990s and early 21st century in favor of the Los Angeles and Virginia classes.

All Sturgeons were designed to surface through ice, with a reinforced sail and diving planes capable of rotating all the way to vertical.

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.

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.

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

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

Long Hull

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

External link

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