View source for Sturgeon-class submarine

{{Short description|Class of fast attack nuclear submarine by US Navy}}
{{redirect|637 class|the Chinese PLAN navy shipclass|Type 637 tanker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
 | image = USS Sturgeon (SSN-637) Launch.jpg
 | image_caption = [[USS Sturgeon (SSN-637)|USS ''Sturgeon'']]
 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/class overview
 | name = ''Sturgeon'' class
 | builders = *[[General Dynamics Electric Boat]]
              *[[General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division|General Dynamics Quincy]]
              *[[Ingalls Shipbuilding]]
              *[[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]]
              *[[New York Shipbuilding]]
              *[[Newport News Shipbuilding]]
              *[[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]]
 | operators = {{naval|United States}}
 | class_before = {{sclass|Thresher/Permit|submarine|4}}
 | class_after = {{sclass|Los Angeles|submarine|4}}
 | subclasses = Long-hull variant (9 boats)
 | cost = 
 | built_range = 1963–1975
 | in_service_range = 
 | in_commission_range = 1967–2004
 | total_ships_building = 
 | total_ships_planned = 
 | total_ships_completed = 37 (+1 modified variant for experimental research)
 | total_ships_canceled = 
 | total_ships_active = 
 | total_ships_laid_up = 
 | total_ships_lost = 
 | total_ships_retired = 37 (+1)
 | total_ships_preserved = 
 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
 | hide_header = 
 | header_caption = 
 | class = 
 | type = [[Nuclear submarine|Nuclear-powered]] [[attack submarine]]
 | displacement = *{{convert|3640|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}} surfaced
                  *{{convert|4640|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} submerged<ref name="auto">Friedman, pp 144–149, 243</ref>
 | length = *Short hull: {{convert|292|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}
            *Long hull: {{convert|302|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}
 | beam = {{convert|31|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
 | height = 
 | draft = {{convert|24|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="auto"/>
 | depth = 
 | decks = 
 | deck_clearance = 
 | power = 
 | propulsion = *1 × [[S5W reactor|S5W]] [[pressurized water reactor]]
                *2 × [[steam turbine]]s, total {{convert|15000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
                *1 shaft<ref name="auto"/>
 | speed = *{{convert|15|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
           *{{convert|26|kn}} submerged
 | range = Unlimited, except by food supplies
 | endurance = 
 | test_depth = {{convert|1320|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref>
{{cite book
  | last =Tyler
  | first =Patrick
  | author-link =Patrick Tyler
  | title = Running Critical
  | publisher = Harper and Row
  | year = 1986
  | location = New York
  | pages = 58
  }}
</ref>
 | complement = 107
 | time_to_activate = 
 | sensors = 
 | EW = 
 | armament = *4 × [[American 21-inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] amidship [[torpedo tube]]s with up to 21 reload weapons including: [[Mark 48 torpedo|Mark 48 and Mk-48 ADCAP torpedoes]], typically 4 [[Boeing Harpoon|Harpoon missiles]] or up to 8 [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk missiles]], and 2-4 [[SUBROC]] anti-submarine missiles
              *''In minelaying configuration'':
              *[[Naval mine#National arsenals|Mark 67 Submarine Launched Mobile Mines]] and Mark 60 [[CAPTOR mine]]s instead of torpedoes.
 | armor = 
 | notes = 
 }}
}}
The '''''Sturgeon'' class''' (known colloquially in naval circles as the '''637 class''') was a class of thirty-seven [[Nuclear marine propulsion|nuclear-powered]] fast attack [[submarine]]s ([[hull classification symbol|SSN]]) in service with the [[United States Navy]] from the 1960s until 2004. They were the "workhorses" of the Navy's attack submarine fleet throughout much of the [[Cold War]].  The boats were phased out in the 1990s and early 21st century, as their successors, the {{sclass|Los Angeles|submarine|5}}, followed by the {{sclass|Seawolf|submarine|5}} and {{sclass|Virginia|submarine|5}}-class boats, entered service.

==Design==
[[File:USS PARGO Sturgeon Class.jpg|thumb|left|Control room]]
The ''Sturgeon''s were essentially lengthened and improved variants of the [[Thresher/Permit-class submarine|''Thresher/Permit'' class]] that directly preceded them.  The five-compartment arrangement of the ''Permit''s was retained, including the bow compartment, operations compartment, reactor compartment, auxiliary machinery room no. 2, and the engine room. The extra length was in the operations compartment, including longer torpedo racks to accommodate additional [[Mark 37 torpedo]]es, the most advanced in service at the time of the class's design in the late 1950s. The class was redesigned to [[SUBSAFE]] requirements concurrently with the construction of the first units, with seawater, main ballast, and other systems modified for improved safety.<ref name="auto"/> The biggest difference was the much larger sail, which permitted a second periscope and additional intelligence-gathering masts, and which reduced the risk of the submarine [[Broach (nautical)|broaching]] the surface in heavy seas.  The [[fairwater plane]]s mounted on the sail could rotate 90&nbsp;degrees, allowing the submarine to surface through thin ice.<ref name="auto"/> Because the [[S5W reactor]] was used (the same as in the ''Skipjack''s and ''Thresher/Permit''s), the sail was enlarged (increasing [[Drag (physics)|drag]]), and the displacement was increased, the ''Sturgeon''s' top speed was {{convert|26|kn|km/h}}, 2&nbsp;knots slower than the ''Thresher/Permit''s.
The last nine ''Sturgeon''s were lengthened {{convert|10|ft|0}} to provide more space for electronic equipment and habitability. The extra space also helped facilitate the use of [[dry deck shelter]]s first deployed in 1982.

The class received mid-life upgrades in the 1980s, including the BQQ-5 sonar suite with a retractable [[towed array sonar|towed array]], Mk 117 torpedo fire control equipment, and other electronics upgrades.
[[File:USS Pargo (SSN-650).jpg|left|200px|thumb|{{USS|Pargo|SSN-650}} surfaced in Arctic ice.]]

==Armament==
The ''Sturgeon''-class boats were equipped to carry the [[Boeing Harpoon|Harpoon missile]], the [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk cruise missile]], the UUM-44 [[SUBROC]], the Mark 67 SLMM and Mark 60 CAPTOR mines, and the [[Mark 48 torpedo|MK-48 and ADCAP torpedoes]]. [[Torpedo tube]]s were located amidships to accommodate the bow-mounted sonar. The bow covering the sonar sphere was made from steel or glass reinforced plastic (GRP), both varieties having been produced both booted and not booted. Booted domes are covered with a half-inch layer of rubber.<ref name="Sonar Domes">{{cite web|last=Pike|first=John|title=Sonar Domes|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/systems/sonar-dome.htm|work=Military|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|access-date=17 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Coating Systems for Submarine Bow Dome Preservation|url=http://www.nstcenter.com/writeup.aspx?title=Submarine%20Bow%20Dome&page=NavyCommunityAppExtSubSubmarineBowDome.html|publisher=National Surface Treatment Center|access-date=17 May 2011|archive-date=9 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009031958/http://www.nstcenter.com/writeup.aspx?title=Submarine%20Bow%20Dome&page=NavyCommunityAppExtSubSubmarineBowDome.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The GRP domes improved the bow sonar sphere performance; though for intelligence gathering missions, the towed-array sonar was normally used as it was much more sensitive.

==Noise reduction==
Several ''Sturgeon'' boats and related submarines were modifications of the original designs to test ways to reduce noise.
*{{USS|Puffer|SSN-652|2}} was outfitted with Raytheon Harmonic Power Conditioners which eliminated an electrical bus noise problem that was inherent in the class. This was done by harmonic conditioning of the power system.  This successful feature was later outfitted on the entire class.
*{{USS|Batfish|SSN-681|2}} and {{USS|Bluefish|SSN-675|2}} among others were outfitted with SHT ([[Special Hull Treatment]]) during a non-refueling overhaul, which reduced noise and the submarine sonar profile.
*{{USS|Glenard P. Lipscomb|SSN-685|2}}, a one-ship class, was completed using [[turbo-electric transmission|a turbo-electric system]] for main propulsion rather than a [[gear|reduction gear]] drive from the steam turbines. The massive motor and associated generators required her to be lengthened to {{convert|365|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}. The ''Lipscomb'''s trial of turbo-electric propulsion was not considered successful due to lower speed - top speed was {{convert|23|kn|km/h}}, 5&nbsp;knots slower than the ''Thresher/Permit''s - and a lack of reliability, and she was decommissioned in 1989.<ref name="auto"/>
*{{USS|Narwhal|SSN-671|2}}, the quietest submarine of her era, had a similar but distinct design to the ''Sturgeon''-class submarines. The ''Narwhal'' ([[Ship Characteristics Board|SCB 245]]) and the ''Sturgeon'' class ([[Ship Characteristics Board|SCB 188A]]) were developed simultaneously. Forward the ''Narwhal'' resembled the ''Sturgeon''-class submarines, but with a relocated diesel generator and slightly greater beam. Aft she had the [[natural circulation]] [[S5G reactor]] and a direct-drive turbine, along with several other quieting features. Unlike the ''Sturgeon'' class, the ''Narwhal'' did not fully comply with [[SUBSAFE]] regulations due to her unique main seawater system.<ref>Friedman, pp 143–149</ref>

==Variants==
Beginning with {{USS|Archerfish|SSN-678|2}}, units of this class had a {{convert|10|ft|m|adj=on}} longer hull, giving them more living and working space than previous submarines. {{USS|Parche|SSN-683|2}} received an additional {{convert|100|ft|m|adj=on}} hull extension containing cable tapping equipment that brought her total length to {{convert|401|ft|m}}. A number of the long hull ''Sturgeon''-class SSNs, including ''Parche'', ''L. Mendel Rivers'', and ''Richard B. Russell'' were involved in top-secret reconnaissance missions, including cable tap operations in the [[Barents Sea|Barents]] and [[Sea of Okhotsk|Okhotsk]] seas. ''Parche'' received nine [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citations]] for successful missions.<ref>{{cite book | last = Sontag | first = Sherry | author2 = Drew, Christopher | title = Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage | publisher = William Morrow Paperbacks | year = 2000 | url = https://archive.org/details/blindmansbluffun00sher | isbn = 0-06097-771-X | url-access = registration }}</ref>

A total of seven boats were modified to carry the [[United States Navy SEALs|SEAL]] [[Dry Deck Shelter]] (DDS). The DDS is a submersible launch hangar with a [[lockout chamber]] attached to the ship's midships weapons shipping hatch, facilitating the use of [[SEAL Delivery Vehicle]]s. DDS-equipped boats were tasked with the covert insertion of special forces.

==Boats in class==
{{Main|List of Sturgeon-class submarines}}
From ''Register of Ships of the US Navy, 1775-1990''.<ref name="Register">{{cite book
  | last = Bauer
  | first = K. Jack
  |author2=Roberts, Stephen S.
   | title = Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants
  | publisher = Greenwood Press
  | year = 1991
  | location = [[Westport, Connecticut]]
  | pages = 287–289
  | isbn = 0-313-26202-0 }}</ref>

===Short hull===
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* {{USS|Sturgeon|SSN-637|3}}
* {{USS|Whale|SSN-638|3}}
* {{USS|Tautog|SSN-639|3}}
* {{USS|Grayling|SSN-646|3}}
* {{USS|Pogy|SSN-647|3}}
* {{USS|Aspro|SSN-648|3}}
* {{USS|Sunfish|SSN-649|3}}
* {{USS|Pargo|SSN-650|3}}
* {{USS|Queenfish|SSN-651|3}}
* {{USS|Puffer|SSN-652|3}}
* {{USS|Ray|SSN-653|3}}
* {{USS|Sand Lance|SSN-660|3}}
* {{USS|Lapon|SSN-661|3}}
* {{USS|Gurnard|SSN-662|3}}
* {{USS|Hammerhead|SSN-663|3}}
* {{USS|Sea Devil|SSN-664|3}}
* {{USS|Guitarro|SSN-665|3}}
* {{USS|Hawkbill|SSN-666|3}}
* {{USS|Bergall|SSN-667|3}}
* {{USS|Spadefish|SSN-668|3}}
* {{USS|Seahorse|SSN-669|3}}
* {{USS|Finback|SSN-670|3}}
* {{USS|Pintado|SSN-672|3}}
* {{USS|Flying Fish|SSN-673|3}}
* {{USS|Trepang|SSN-674|3}}
* {{USS|Bluefish|SSN-675|3}}
* {{USS|Billfish|SSN-676|3}}
* {{USS|Drum|SSN-677|3}}

{{Div col end}}

===Long hull===
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* {{USS|Archerfish|SSN-678|3}} (DDS)
* {{USS|Silversides|SSN-679|3}} (DDS)
* {{USS|William H. Bates|SSN-680|3}} (ex-''Redfish'') (DDS)
* {{USS|Batfish|SSN-681|3}} (DDS)
* {{USS|Tunny|SSN-682|3}} (DDS)
* {{USS|Parche|SSN-683|3}} (R&D)
* {{USS|Cavalla|SSN-684|3}} (DDS)
* {{USS|L. Mendel Rivers|SSN-686|3}} (DDS)
* {{USS|Richard B. Russell|SSN-687|3}}
{{Div col end}}

===Derivatives===
One other Navy vessel was based on the ''Sturgeon'' hull, but was modified for experimental reasons:
* {{USS|Glenard P. Lipscomb|SSN-685|3}}

==See also==
* [[List of submarines of the United States Navy]]
* [[List of submarine classes of the United States Navy]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book |last=Friedman|first=Norman |author-link= |title=U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History |publisher=United States Naval Institute |year=1994|location=Annapolis, Maryland |url= |doi= |isbn=1-55750-260-9}}
* {{cite book | last = Gardiner | first = Robert | author2 = Chumbley, Stephen | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995 | publisher = Conway Maritime Press | year = 1995 | location = London | pages = [https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds00gard/page/n621 606]–607 | url =https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds00gard| url-access = limited | isbn = 1-55750-132-7 }}
* {{cite book | last = Hutchinson | first = Robert | title = Jane's Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day | publisher = New Line Books | year = 2006 | isbn = 1-59764-181-2 }}
* {{cite book | last = Polmar | first = Norman| title = Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines | publisher = Potomac Books | year = 2005 | isbn = 1-57488-530-8 }}
* {{cite book | last = Polmar | first = Norman | title = The American Submarine | publisher = Nautical & Aviation | year = 1983 | isbn = 0-93385-238-X }}
* {{Naval Vessel Register}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sturgeon class submarines}}
* [https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/ssn-637.htm fas.org: ''Sturgeon'' class]
* [http://spb.org.ru/bellona/ehome/russia/nfl/nfla.htm Bellona Report] {{in lang|ru}}
* [http://www.navsource.net/archives/08/05idx.htm Photo galleries of US nuclear attack submarines at NavSource]
* [https://www.miwsr.com/2022-033.aspx Michigan War Studies Review - book reviews, literature surveys, original essays, and commentary in the field of military studies]

{{Sturgeon class submarine}}
{{US submarine classes after 1945}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturgeon Class Submarine}}
[[Category:Submarine classes]]
[[Category:Sturgeon-class submarines| ]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United States| Sturgeon class]]
[[Category:Vietnam War submarines of the United States| Sturgeon class]]