Ethan Allen-class submarine

	USS Ethan Allen
Class overview
Name	Ethan Allen class
Builders	General Dynamics Electric Boat; Newport News Shipbuilding;
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	George Washington class
Succeeded by	Lafayette class
Built	1959–1963
In commission	1961–1992
Completed	5
Retired	5
General characteristics
Type	Ballistic Missile Submarine
Displacement	Surfaced: 6,946 long tons (7,057 t) Submerged: 7,884 long tons (8,011 t)
Length	410 feet 4 inches (125.1 m)
Beam	33.1 feet (10.1 m)
Draft	29 feet 10 inches (9.1 m)
Propulsion	1 S5W PWR; 2 geared steam turbines (15,000 shp (11,000 kW)),; 1 shaft;
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h) surfaced; 22 knots (41 km/h) submerged;
Test depth	1,300 feet (400 m)
Complement	12 Officers and 128 Enlisted (two crews, "Blue" and "Gold")
Armament	16 Polaris A2/A3 missiles, 4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes

The Ethan Allen class of fleet ballistic missile submarine was an evolutionary development from the George Washington class. The Ethan Allen, together with the George Washington, Lafayette, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin classes comprised the "41 for Freedom" that were the Navy's main contribution to the nuclear deterrent force through the late 1980s.

Design

Rather than being designed as Skipjack-class attack submarines with a missile compartment added, the Ethan Allens were the first submarines designed "from the keel up" as Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines carrying the Polaris A-2 missile. They were functionally similar to the George Washingtons, but longer and more streamlined and with torpedo tubes reduced to four. In the early and mid-1970s, they were upgraded to Polaris A3s. Because their missile tubes could not be modified to carry the larger diameter Poseidon missile,^[3] they were not further upgraded.

Conversions

To comply with SALT II treaty limitations as the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines entered service, in the early 1980s the Ethan Allens were refitted and officially designated SSNs (fast attack submarines), but often referred to as a "slow approach". Their missile fire control systems were removed and the missile tubes were filled with concrete. Sam Houston and John Marshall were further converted to carry SEALs or other Special Operations Forces, accommodating 67 troops each with dry deck shelters to accommodate SEAL Delivery Vehicles or other equipment. The Ethan Allen-class submarines were decommissioned between 1983 and 1992.^[4] All were disposed of through the nuclear Ship-Submarine Recycling Program 1992–1999.

Boats in class

Submarines of the Ethan Allen class:^[1]^[4]^[5]

Name and hull number	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Period of service	Fate
Ethan Allen (SSBN-608)	General Dynamics Electric Boat	14 September 1959	22 November 1960	8 August 1961	31 March 1983	21.7	Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1999
Sam Houston (SSBN-609)	Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.	28 December 1959	2 February 1961	6 March 1962	6 September 1991	29.5	Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1992
Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610)	General Dynamics Electric Boat	15 March 1960	15 June 1961	10 March 1962	1 December 1983	21.8	Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1997
John Marshall (SSBN-611)	Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.	4 April 1960	15 July 1961	21 May 1962	22 July 1992	30.2	Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1993
Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618)	Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.	3 February 1961	24 February 1962	4 January 1963	24 January 1985	22.1	Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, 1998

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ""SSBN-608 Ethan Allen-Class FBM Submarines" from the FAS". Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 199–200, 244. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
^ Polmar, Norman (1981), The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet (12th ed.), London: Arms and Armour Press, p. 22, ISBN 0-85368-397-2
^ ^a ^b Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen, eds. (1995), Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995, Annapolis, USA: Naval Institute Press, p. 612, ISBN 1-55750-132-7
^ California Center of Military History (dead link 2015-05-07) Archived 27 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine