![]() One government source told the Los Angeles Times, “the submarines started to get stealthier only after the Toshiba stuff went in.” On top of running more quietly, the Akula class could dive to depths of up to two thousand feet while the U.S. Subsequently, by the mid-1980s, the Soviet Union’s more advanced prop milling machinery began to make its presence felt with new Akula-class submarines exhibiting a “steep drop in broadband acoustic noise profiles” rendering them more difficult to pick up on USN Sonars. Consequently, in 1981, the Japanese company Toshiba sold propeller milling machinery, which now is a relatively common nine-axis CNC milling machine, to the Soviet Union via the Norwegian Kongsberg Corporation. As a result, the Soviet Union sought advanced Western machinery to make higher quality and quieter submarine props. Navy had been confronted with a crisis because the Soviet Union had received information from the Walker family spy ring that the Navy could track its submarines through excessive propeller noise, or cavitation. The projected cost for 12 submarines of this class was $33.6 billion, however, construction ceased at three boats when the Cold War ended. Each submarine is powered by a single S6W nuclear reactor, delivering 45,000 hp (34 MW) to a low-noise pump jet.Īs a result of their advanced design, however, Seawolf submarines were considerably more expensive than their earlier counterparts. ![]() The BSY-2 is a fully integrated system used for sonar tracking, monitoring, and launch of all on-board weapons, including Mk 48 ADCAP/ADCAP MOD torpedoes, Tomahawk missiles, and mines. The boats also have extensive advanced equipment to permit shallow water operations and they utilize the more cutting-edge ARCI Modified AN/BSY-2 combat system, which includes a larger spherical sonar array, a wide aperture array (WAA), and a new towed-array sonar. Additionally, the boats can carry up to 50 UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles for attacking land and sea surface targets. Seawolf submarines are larger, faster, and significantly quieter than their predecessor Los Angeles-class submarines, carry a larger weapons load, and have twice as many torpedo tubes. The Seawolf design was intended to combat the threat of advanced Soviet ballistic missile submarines such as the Typhoon-class, and attack submarines such as the Akula-class in a deep-ocean environment so their pressure hulls are constructed using HY-100 steel, which is stronger than the HY-80 steel employed in previous classes, to withstand increased sea pressure at greater depths. Thus, their story is comparable to that of the F-22 fighter jet widely considered the world’s best, but high costs and unforeseen geopolitical conditions rendered them obsolete before their time. And although the class eventually became doomed, they are still some of the most technologically advanced and sophisticated submarines ever constructed, nevertheless, they were built in reduced numbers. The Seawolves were envisioned as the finest submarines ever to be built and were designed to succeed the 688 class to maintain America’s edge in the underwater warfare and reconnaissance realm. The Seawolf-class cost about $3 billion per unit making it the most expensive U.S built, SSN submarine and second most expensive submarine ever, after the French SSBN Triumphant-class. This in turn, led to the design of the smaller and less expensive SSN-774 Virginia-class attack submarines. ![]() ![]() Accordingly, the entire Seawolf-class was limited to just three boats that include the USS Seawolf SSN-21, USS Connecticut SSN-22 and USS Jimmy Carter SSN-23. However, the end of the Cold War and budget constraints dictated the cancellation of any further additions to the fleet in 1995. A fleet of 29 submarines was planned to be built over ten years, but that was subsequently reduced to just 12 submarines. ![]() The class was originally intended to succeed the 688 Los Angeles-class attack boats, and design work began on it in 1983. The Seawolf-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) are currently in service with the United States Navy. ![]()
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