List of United States submarine classes
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.Occasionally, a class will consist of a single ship as a protoype, or for experimental use; an example is USS Albacore (AGSS-569), which used an unprecedented hull design. In this list such single boat 'classes' are marked with '(unique)'.
- USS Dolphin (SS-169) (unique)
- Cachalot (SS-170) class
- Porpoise (SS-172) class
- Salmon (SS-182) class
- Sargo (SS-188) class
- Tambor (SS-198) class
- Mackerel (SS-204) class
- This was a two ship class intended to prototype small submarines for wartime use due to the (false) belief that larger submarines could not be mass produced.
- Gar (SS-206) class
- This class of 6 boats are often listed as Tambor class boats.
- Gato (SS-212) class
- This was the "standard" attack submarine of WWII.
- Balao (SS-285) class
- The Balao class was an upgraded version of the Gato class, mostly noted for its increased diving depth.
- Tench (SS-417) class
- The Tench class was a further refined version of the Gato/Balao types.
- Barracuda (SS-550) class
- USS Dolphin (AGSS 555) (unique)
- A deep diving submarine used for various experimental and development purposes.
- Tang (SS-563) class
- A WWII fleet boat with many technical changes based on wartime experience and post-war development.
- USS Albacore (AGSS-569) (unique)
- Built primarily to test the streamlined hull form that is now standard, she later served as a research and development test bed.
- USS Nautilus (SSN-571) (unique)
- The USN's first nuclear powered submarine, her hullform was based on that of a fleet boat
- Sailfish (SSR-572) class
- Purpose built radar picket submarines.
- Grayback (SSG-574) class
- Cruise missile submarines.
- USS Seawolf (SSN-575) (unique)
- Designed and built to test a liquid metal reactor
- Skate (SSN-578) class
- The first attempt to build a standard nuclear submarines, she was essentially a nuclear Tang . This was the last class designed with surface operations in mind.
- Barbel (SS-580) class
- A diesel submarine based on the Albacore. They were the last conventionally powered submarine built for the USN
- Skipjack (SSN-585) class
- USS Triton (SSRN/SSN-586) (unique)
- A nuclear powered radar picket submarine.
- USS Halibut (SSGN/SSN-587) (unique)
- A purpose built cruise missile submarine.
- USS Thresher/Permit (SSN-594) class
- This class was known as the Thresher ''class prior the loss of its lead ship
- USS Tullibee (SSN-597) (unique)
- The Tullibee was a prototype "hunter-killer" submarine, she was built to test the new bow sonar and amidships torpedo room configuration that is now standard for US submarines.
- George Washington (SSBN-598) class
- Ethan Allen (SSBN-608) class
- Lafayette (SSBN-616) class
- James Madison (SSBN-627) class
- Sturgeon (SSN-637) class
- Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) class
- USS Narwhal (SSN-671) (unique)
- Narwhal was built as a testbed for a new reactor and propulsion plant.
- USS Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685) (unique)
- Built to test electric propulsion for nuclear submarines.
- Los Angeles (SSN-688) class
- Ohio (SSGN-726) class
- The Ohio class is unusual in having two types of submarine with the same class name and number. This is caused by the conversion and redesignation of the first four submarines from SSBN to SSGN
- Seawolf (SSN-21) class
- Virginia (SSN-774) class