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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 ft 4 in (125.07 m)
Beam	33.1 ft (10.1 m)
Draft	29 ft 10 in (9.09 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 ft (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, 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. All were disposed of through the nuclear Ship-Submarine Recycling Program 1992–1999.

Boats in class

Submarines of the Ethan Allen class:

See also

• List of submarines of the United States Navy
• List of submarine classes of the United States Navy

References

1. ^ ""SSBN-608 Ethan Allen-Class FBM Submarines" from the FAS". Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
2. ^ 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.
3. 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
4. ^ 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
5. California Center of Military History (dead link 2015-05-07) Archived 27 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

External links

• NavSource.org SSBN photo gallery index
• Federation of American Scientists

• Submarine classes
• Ethan Allen-class submarines
• Cold War submarines of the United States