List of submarine classes of the United States Navy

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use dmy dates Submarines of the United States Navy are built in classes, using a single design for a number of boats. Minor variations occur as improvements are incorporated into the design, so later boats of a class may be more capable than earlier. Also, boats are modified, sometimes extensively, while in service, creating departures from the class standard. However, in general, all boats of a class are noticeably similar.

Experimental use: an example is Template:USS, which used an unprecedented hull design. In this list such single boat "classes" are marked with "(unique)".

Pre–World War I

Pre–World War I
Class name No. Laid down Last comm. Notes
Template:USS<ref name="danfsalligator">Template:Cite web</ref> 1 1861 1862 First submarine in the U.S. Navy. Purpose was to protect wooden ships against ironclads.
Template:USS<ref name="usnholland">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="danfsholland">Template:Cite web</ref> 1 1896 1900 5 others were made; only Template:USS entered the U.S. Navy as it was the first officially commissioned submarine purchased on 11 April 1900.
Template:Sclass<ref name="danfsa1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="danfsa2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="danfsa5">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="friedthrough p28">Friedman 1995, p. 28.</ref> 7 1900 1903 Later renamed A class in November 1911, when Navy stopped naming submarines. Essentially enlarged, more powerful Holland.
Viper<ref name="danfsb1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="danfsb3">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="globalb">Template:Cite web</ref> 3 1905 1907 Last in series of Holland-like submarines. Later renamed to B class.
Octopus<ref name="globalc">Template:Cite web</ref> 5 1905 1910 Designed by Lawrence York Spear. Later renamed to C class.
Narwhal<ref name="globald">Template:Cite web</ref> 3 1908 1910 Later renamed to D class. Designed to survive flooding in one compartment.
E<ref name="globale">Template:Cite web</ref> 2 1909 1912 First US Navy diesel-powered submarine. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape.
F<ref name="globalf">Template:Cite web</ref> 4 1909 1913 In 1920, the class was designated SS-20–SS-23.
G<ref name="globalg">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="danfsg1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="danfsg4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="museumla">Template:Cite web</ref> 4 1909 1914 Used gasoline engine. Template:USS set the submerged depth record in 1915, Template:Convert. Template:USS was given the number 19½ because SS- numbers were given after her decommissioning; she was between SS-19 & SS-20.
H<ref name="globalh">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="danfsh9">Template:Cite web</ref> 9 1911 1918 3 originally ordered by U.S. Navy. 17 ordered by the Imperial Russian Navy, 11 delivered. Other 6 bought by U.S. Navy. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape.
K<ref name="globalk">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="usnk1">Template:Cite web</ref> 8 1912 1912 Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Template:USS, Template:USS, Template:USS, Template:USS were the first U.S. submarines to see action in World War I.
L<ref name="globall">Template:Cite web</ref> 11 1914 1918 The first US submarines with a deck gun. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Designed for coastal defense.
Template:USS<ref name="globalm">Template:Cite web</ref> 1 1914 1918 Double-hull design. Twenty percent larger than the K class. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Considered failure by the submarine community.
N<ref name="globaln">Template:Cite web</ref> 7 1915 1918 Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Used for coastal patrol.
O<ref name="globalo">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="globalo11">Template:Cite web</ref> 16 1916 1918 Each cost $550,000. First submarines with reliable diesel engines. Every man had his own berth and locker. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. O-11 through O-16 (built by Lake Torpedo Boat Company) also known as the "modified O-class". Modified boats proved to be disappointing and were scrapped in 1930; Lake went out of business in 1925.
Template:Sclass<ref name="globalt">Template:Cite web</ref> 3 1916 1922 Later renamed T class. Designed for Template:Convert at Template:Convert, but performed Template:Convert at Template:Convert. Prototype "fleet submarines"—submarines fast enough (Template:Convert) to travel with battleships. Twice the size of any concurrent or past U.S. submarine. A poor tandem engine design caused the boats to be decommissioned by 1923 and scrapped in 1930.

World War I

World War I
Class name No. Laid down Last comm. Notes
R<ref name="globalr1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="danfsr20">Template:Cite web</ref> 20 1917 1918 Larger conning tower to serve as commanding officer's battle station. Fired Mark 10 torpedoes and traveled Template:Convert at Template:Convert.
R-21<ref name="globalr21">Template:Cite web</ref> 7 1917 1919 Designed by Simon Lake. Generally similar to R class, but smaller and reverted to 18-inch torpedo tubes. Scrapped in 1930; Lake went out of business in 1925.
S 51 1917 1922 The S class is subdivided into four groups of different designs.

Interwar

Interwar
Class name No. First ship laid down Last ship commissioned Notes
Barracuda 3 Template:USS and
Template:USS
20 October 1921		 Template:USS
22 May 1926
Template:USS 1 1 May 1925 2 April 1928 Unique submarine; mine-laying submarine
Template:Sclass 2 Template:USS
10 May 1927		 Template:USS
1 July 1930
Template:USS 1 14 June 1930 1 June 1932 Unique submarine
Template:Sclass 2 Template:USS
7 October 1931		 Template:USS
8 June 1934
Porpoise 10 Template:USS
24 October 1933		 Template:USS
12 June 1937
Template:Sclass 6 Template:USS
15 April 1936		 Template:USS
30 June 1938
Template:Sclass 10 Template:USS
12 May 1937		 Template:USS
1 December 1939
Template:Sclass 12 Template:USS
16 January 1939		 Template:USS
30 June 1941
Template:Sclass 2 Template:USS
6 October 1939		 Template:USS
1 August 1941
Template:Sclass 77 Template:USS
11 September 1940		 Template:USS
21 April 1944		 USS Drum was only boat actually commissioned before US Entry to WWII

World War II

World War II
Class name No. First ship laid down Last ship commissioned Notes
Template:Sclass 120 Template:USS
31 March 1942		 Template:USS
1 September 1948		 62 cancelled
Template:Sclass 29 Template:USS, Template:USS, Template:USS, and Template:USS
8 February 1944		 Template:USS
10 February 1951		 51 cancelled

Cold War

Diesel-Electric Submarines (SSs, SSKs, and SSGs)

Class Name No. First boat laid down Last boat commissioned Notes Silhouette/Image
Barracuda 3 Template:USS
1 July 1949 		Template:USS
11 January 1952
Template:Sclass 6 Template:USS
18 April 1949 		Template:USS
21 November 1952
Template:Sclass 2 Template:USS
1 July 1954 		Template:USS
30 August 1958 		Regulus missile submarines
Template:USS 1 10 November 1954 20 October 1956 Unique submarine
Template:Sclass 3 Template:USS
18 May 1956 		Template:USS
15 October 1959 		First production submarines with teardrop hull.
U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines

Nuclear Attack Submarines (SSNs)

Class Name No. First boat laid down Last boat commissioned Notes Silhouette/Image
Nautilus 1 14 June 1952 30 September 1954 First nuclear submarine; hull design enlarged from fleet boat
Seawolf 1 7 December 1953 30 March 1957 Unique submarine; liquid metal cooled (sodium) S2G reactor (replaced with a pressurized-water reactor in 1959)
Template:Sclass 4 Template:USS
21 July 1955 		Template:USS
5 December 1959
Template:Sclass 6 Template:USS
29 May 1956 		Template:USS
24 October 1961 		First nuclear submarine class with teardrop hull form. USS Scorpion lost at sea 1968.
Thresher/Permit 14 Template:USS
28 May 1958 		Template:USS
25 January 1968 		First class with bow sonar sphere. Known as Thresher class until the loss of the Template:USS in 1963
Template:USS 1 26 May 1958 9 November 1960 Unique submarine; turbo-electric transmission
Template:Sclass 37 Template:USS
10 August 1963 		Template:USS
16 August 1975 		Redesign of Thresher/Permit class using lessons learned from loss of Thresher.
Template:USS 1 17 January 1966 12 July 1969 Unique submarine; natural circulation S5G reactor
Template:USS 1 5 June 1971 21 December 1974 Unique submarine; turbo-electric transmission
Template:Sclass 62 Template:USS
8 January 1972 		Template:USS
13 September 1996
Template:Sclass 3 Template:USS
25 October 1989 		Template:USS
19 February 2005 		Planned successor of Los Angeles class. High costs caused only three to be built.

Nuclear Cruise Missile Submarines (SSGNs)

Note: Several boats were converted into cruise missile submarines after construction; the USS Halibut was the only purpose built SSGN of the US Navy
Class Name No. First boat laid down Last boat commissioned Notes Picture/Silhouette
Template:USS 1 11 April 1957 4 January 1960 Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine

Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs)

Class Name No. First boat laid down Last boat commissioned Notes Picture/Silhouette
Template:Sclass 5 Template:Nowrap
1 November 1957 		Template:USS
11 March 1961
Template:Sclass 5 Template:USS
14 September 1959 		Template:Nowrap
4 January 1963 		Ethan Allen was the only SSBN to fire live missile and detonate nuclear warhead at test range proving theory.
Template:Sclass 9 Template:USS
17 January 1961 		Template:USS
09 April 1964
Template:Sclass 10 Template:USS
6 February 1962 		Template:USS
19 December 1964
Template:Sclass 12 Template:USS
25 May 1963 		Template:USS
1 April 1967 		Redesigned using lessons learned from loss of Thresher.
Template:Sclass 18 Template:USS
10 April 1976 		Template:USS
6 September 1997

Deep-submergence vehicles (DSVs)

Class Name No. First boat laid down Last boat commissioned Notes Picture/Silhouette
Trieste class 2 Trieste (DSV-0)
1958 		Trieste II (DSV-1)
1969 		The Trieste was the first submarine which reached the Challenger Deep by Swiss Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh in 1960.
Alvin class 4 Alvin (DSV-2)
5 June 1964 		Nemo (DSV-5)
1970
NR-1 1 10 June 1967 27 October 1969

Miscellaneous Submarines (SSTs, SSRs, AGSSs & SSRNs)

Class Name No. First boat laid down Last boat commissioned Notes
Template:USS 1 15 March 1952 6 December 1953 Unique submarine; teardrop hull form; no weapons
Template:Sclass 2 USS T-1, later Template:USS
1 April 1952 		USS T-2, later Template:USS
20 November 1953 		Training and experimental submarines
Template:Sclass 2 Template:USS
8 December 1953 		Template:USS
25 August 1956 		Radar picket
Template:USS 1 29 May 1956 10 November 1959 Unique submarine; Radar picket; Twin S4G Nuclear Reactors
Template:USS 1 9 November 1962 17 August 1968 Unique submarine; research and development for deep diving technologies; last operational U.S. Navy diesel-electric submarine; Decommissioned 15 January 2007

Post–Cold War

Post–Cold War
Class name Number of boats First boat laid down Last boat commissioned Notes
Template:Sclass 24 (of 66 planned) Template:USS
2 September 1999		 Template:USS
April 5, 2025		 Attack submarine.
Template:Sclass 12 (planned) Template:USS
(planned)		 Ballistic missile submarine

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Template:US submarine classes after 1945

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