Research Conventional Submarine 1953-1972. The Teardrop Marvel USS Albacore (AGSS-569) is a single prototype submarine pioneering a home-grown version of the teardrop hull shape, really starting the modern submarine shape. This revolutionary design was derived from extensive hydrodynamic and wind tunnel testing in order to reach an unprecedented underwater speed and enhance agility. USS Albacore … Read more
USS Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas (1971) These four ships planned at first as fleet escorts (frigates) like the previous California class, were requalified “cruisers” in 1975 when entering service. USS Virginia (CGN-38), started in August 1972 was commissioned in 1976, and USS Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas (CGN 39-41), between 1977 and 1980. They were designed … Read more
Conventional Training Submarines: USS Mackerel, Marlin 1953-1973. T-1/T-2 later SST-1/SST-2 The T-1-class submarines were among the smallest operational submarines ever built for the United States Navy. Two experimental midgets designed for training submarine personnel, testing new equipments. They would have a career spanning 19 years, started under the programme SCB 68 experimental auxiliary submarine (AGSS-570) … Read more
Nuclear-Powered Guided Missile Cruisers: USS California, USS South Carolina (CGN-36, 37) 1970-1999. The California class was were two nuclear-powered guided-missile cruisers operational from 1974 and 1998, and designed as such rather than simply stretched Leahy/Belknaps fitted with reactors. They reprsented the synthesis of experience gained since the Long Beach, yet still lacked helicopter hangars. They … Read more
USN Cold War Destroyers 6 classes, 68 ships 1947-1990 The story of US Cold War destroyers is a gradual evolution from WW2 legacy vessels to a modern missile-armed force capable of addressing any threat in the air, surface and underwater, with satellite communication and support in gound operations. A full overview from the Gearings to … Read more
Nuclear-Powered Guided Missile Cruiser (CGN-35) 1967-1995. USS Truxtun was a nuclear-powered single-ended guided-missile cruiser (all aft) as she was a stretched and modified Belknap-class, and third nuclear cruiser in the USN after Bainbridge and Long Beach, sporting with the same D2G reactors as the former. USS Truxtun was originally designated, like the Belknaps as a … Read more
Nuclear Attack Submarines: USS Skate, Swordfish, Sargo, Seadragon SSN-578, 579, 583, 584. 1957-1995. The first USN SSN class The Skate class was the first coherent class of nuclear-powered attack submarines after two prototypes, USS Nautilus and USS Seawolf. The second tested a new type of sodium-cooled reactor that was not chosen for this class, following … Read more
9 cruisers (1964-1995): Belknap, J. Daniels, Wainwright, Jouett, Horne, Sterett, William Standley, Fox, Biddle (DLG-26 to 34). The Belknap class cruisers were initially conceived as smaller, cheaper version of the Charles F Adams. However as the project evolved they ended as single-ended guided-missile cruisers (missile forward) unlike the previous Leahy class, but borrowed their hull … Read more
Conventional Cruise Missile Attack Submarines: USS Grayback, Growler SSG-574, 577. 1958-1964. The first US cruise missile submarines Development In the leading up to the first ballistic submarines, both the USA and USSR experimented with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, which easier to build. The impetus were the first V-1 missiles obtained from Germany, as well as blueprints … Read more
Battleships (1942-44): USS Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin The only cold war battleships in activity This post must be seen in complement to the origins and WW2 service of the class. Iowa class WW2 The Iowa class had the shortest career of all USN battleships in WW2 (except the unfortunate two dreadnoughts sunk at Pearl … Read more
