The nuclear weapons of the united states navy 1945 – 2013 Don G. Boyer Haleiwa, Hawaii March 2013
George Washington Ethan Allan Lafayette* Ohio**
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| George Washington Ethan Allan Lafayette* Ohio**
(SSBN-598) (SSBN-608) (SSBN-616) (SSBN-726) (5 ships) (5 ships) (31 ships) (18 ships) Length: 381' 8" 410' 5" 425' 560' Beam: 33' 33' 33' 42' Draft: 26' 8" 27' 6" 27' 10" 36' 3" Displ. (s) 5959 tons 6946 tons 7325 tons 16,764 tons Displ. (sub.) 6709 tons 7884 tons 8251 tons 18,750 tons Spd. (s) 16 kts 16 kts 16 kts 18 lkts Spd. (sub.) 22 kts 21 kts 21 kts 25 kts Missiles 16 16 16 24
** The first four Ohio class SSBNs have been converted to SSGNs; the tubes for the Trident missiles have been modified to carry multiple-round Tomahawk missile VLS canisters and also special vehicles and equipment for special forces (SEAL) operations. These modified boats can carry up to 154 Tomahawks. The six ballistic missiles developed by the US Navy and carried on deterrent patrols were the Polaris A-1, A-2 and A-3 (UGM-27), the Poseidon C-3 (UGM-73A), the Trident I C-4 (UGM-96A) and Trident II D-5 (UGM-133A). Polaris A-1 The Polaris A-1 was the first in the submarine-launched ballistic missile series and the world's first deployed long-range missile with solid-propellant rocket motors. Developed by Lockheed (as were all US-made SLBMs), the Polaris featured a SINS-based (Ship's Inertial Navigation System) guidance program and the missile was developed for undersea launch, which provided far more safety for the launching submarine. The developmental program for the Polaris was relatively quick and surprisingly trouble-free in comparison to some other programs. First flight-tested from Cape Canaveral on 20 April 1959, sea-going tests were conducted from the USS Observation Island on 27 August of the same year. By 20 July of the following year, the USS George Washington successfully launched two Polaris A-1s to a range of about 1150 miles. On 15 November 1960, the George Washington departed on her first patrol with 16 armed missiles on board. On 6 May 1962, during Operation Frigate Bird, the USS Ethan Allan launched a Polaris A-1 from near Christmas Island to Bikini Atoll where the nuclear warhead detonated, the only fully live test of a submarine launched ballistic missile ever conducted. The Polaris A-1 was operational with the US navy from 15 November 1960 to 14 October 1965 when the last submarine carrying the missile returned to port (the USS Abraham Lincoln). Weight: 28,000 lbs Length: 28' Diameter: 4' 6" Propellant: 2-stage solid-fuel rocket motors Range: 1380 nm Warhead: 1 W-47/ Y1. The W-47 was 47" long, 18" in diameter and weighed between 717-733 lbs depending on yield (Y1 = 600 kt; Y2 = 1.2 MT, only the Y1 was installed on the Polaris A-1). About 1360 W-47s were produced, with around 300 in service at any one time. Polaris A-2 The navy's original intention in developing the Polaris missile was to have one that would have a range of around 1500 nm, which had not been achieved in the initial Polaris A-1 deployment. The upgraded A-2 Polaris addressed this problem and had a range of around 1700 miles in addition to being an improved missile overall with a new lightweight fiberglass casing instead of thin-gauge steel. Testing of this missile began in 1960 with the first deployment of A-2s at sea beginning in June of 1962. Only five Ethan Allan class and 8 Lafayette class boats carried the A-2 Polaris, which was replaced in the inventory quicker than expected due to the accelerated development of the A-3 version of Polaris mandated by President Kennedy. The A-2 Polaris was operational with the fleet from June 1962 to about November of 1964. Weight: 32,500 lbs. Length: 31' Diameter: 4' 6" Propellant: 2-stage solid-fuel rocket motors. Range: 1730 nm Warhead: 1 W-47/Y2, 1.2 MT. (See above for dimensions.) Polaris A-3 The Polaris A-3 was the last of the Polaris family, and was developed in response to the rapid advances being made in missile technology in the early 1960s, advances that would not be easily retrofitted to the existing Polaris A-1 or -2 missiles. The A-3 version of Polaris had a range of 2880 nm, exceeding that of the Air Force Thor ICBM. This increase in range was due primarily to re-designed missile casings using fiberglass instead of steel and to developing a new lighter-weight guidance package in addition to the other weight-saving improvements generated for this missile. The Polaris A-3 was the navy's first multiple-warhead weapon, carrying three W-58 warheads in a MK 2 Multiple Re-entry Vehicle (MRV). This allowed a weapon to "shotgun" a soft target which overcame problems of accuracy and also made it very difficult to intercept incoming warheads – an ABM missile would only be able to intercept one warhead target. With this missile, the Polaris equipped submarines made a significant jump in delivery capability from 16 warheads to 48. The three-warhead system also allowed for creating damage on a scale equivalent to the megaton warhead on the Thor Missile using smaller and less powerful warheads in a bracketing pattern – being the recipient of the sextuple shock waves from three 200 kt warheads detonating simultaneously plus the usual heat and radiation would have been just as bad if not worse than any low-megaton detonation. The Polaris A-3 was fitted to 18 US Submarines – 5 George Washingtons, 5 Ethan Allans and 8 Lafayette class. Additionally, the Polaris A-3 was deployed on 4 Resolution class British ballistic missile submarines. (These A-3s were produced in America and were then mated to a British-developed nuclear warhead.) Polaris A-3s were active with the US navy from 1964 to 1981 and in the Royal Navy until May of 1996. Weight: 35,700 lbs. Length: 32' Diameter: 4' 6" Propellant: 2-stage solid fuel rocket motors Range: 2880 nm Warhead: 3 MRV W-58, 200kt. The W-58 warhead was 15.6" in diameter and about 40" long, weighing about 257 lbs. 1400 warheads were produced for the Polaris program. Poseidon C-3 The Poseidon successor to the Polaris program was a much larger missile than any of the Polaris versions and was also the first strategic missile to carry Multiple Independently Targeted Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV). The larger diameter of the C-3 was possible because it was found that the existing Polaris missile tubes would function safely with the original liners removed – the original very severe shock-mitigation requirements imposed in the early days of the Polaris program could be safely reduced. Up to 14 warheads could be fitted to the Poseidon missile, but normal deployment was 10 warheads per missile in order to maintain the range of the A-3. (Decoys could also be included in the warhead delivery vehicles.) The fitting of the MIRV package to this missile meant that each ballistic missile submarine fitted with Poseidon carried 160 warheads that could be delivered over a very large attack "footprint" and with much greater accuracy, the Circular Error Probability (CEP) being around 1500 ft. (With all 32 Lafayette class submarines equipped with Poseidon, this meant the navy had 4560 warheads available with this system alone, although not all would be at sea at the same time.) Poseidon testing began in August of 1968 and by March of 1971 Poseidon began deterrent patrols. The Poseidon missile was back-fitted to all 31 of the Lafayette class submarines. The 10 earlier SSBNs were not modified for the Poseidon. The Poseidon missile was unfortunately beset with some serious flaws that became apparent in 1972 after several operational suitability tests had resulted in failed launches. According to The U.S. Nuclear Arsenal, p. 44, these failures were due to "…quality control problems in its small electronic parts, poor gimbal assemblies, a faulty firing unit and flaws in the submarine/missile connecting flexible cables." A program was put in place to rectify these problems and retrofit the existing Poseidons in the fleet as rapidly as possible. The last improved Poseidon re-entered the fleet in 1978. The navy was also not very happy with the range of the Poseidon – originally planned to be around 4330 nm, the missile ended up with the same range as the preceding Polaris A-3 because of the heavier warhead package. This made the launching submarine more vulnerable to anti-submarine activities due to the necessity of being closer to the target during launch. This problem was addressed only by the development of the follow-on Trident missiles. The last Poseidon was withdrawn from fleet service in October of 1991. Weight: 64,000 lbs Length: 34' Diameter: 6' 2" Propellant: 2-stage solid fuel rocket motors Range: 2880 nm Warhead: 10 (normal) to 14 367 lb. W-68 warheads of 50 kt yield each. (Accurate dimensions for this warhead have never been publically announced.) About 5250 warheads were built, and 3200 underwent upgrading to replace deteriorating explosives. This was the largest production run of a nuclear warhead in the US weapons program. Trident I C-4 The Trident program evolved out of the navy's perceived need for much better range for the submarine-launched ballistic missiles which would greatly increase the survival potential of the nuclear ballistic missile subs in a wartime scenario. Based on the Department of Defense STRAT-X study of the late 1960s, the Trident program was initially for developing a missile with a 6000 nm range, but this proved unrealistic with existing technology and submarines, so the navy instead went with a two-stage program with the interim Trident C-4 attaining a 4600 nm range while development continued on the much-advanced Trident D-5 which was expected to have a 6000 nm range. Trident missiles were back-fitted to 12 of the existing ballistic missile submarines and to the first eight of the much larger Ohio class submarines. The C-4 was also MIRV-equipped, with eight independently targeted reentry vehicles. First test flown in March of 1974 the missile became active with the fleet in October of 1979. The last Trident I C-4 was withdrawn from service in December of 2003. Weight: 73,000 lbs. Length: 34' Diameter: 6' 2" Propellant: 3-stage solid fuel rocket motors. Range: 4600 nm Warhead: 8 MIRV W-76 warheads, 100kt each. Dimensions for this 212 lb warhead have not been released. About 3000 warheads were manufactured for the Trident C-4 missile. Trident II D-5 Last of the submarine launched ballistic missiles, and the only one still in service, the Trident D-5 was intended as the very long range version of this family of missiles. Due to an increased warhead package, the D-5 as deployed did not achieve the planned 6000 nm range, the actual range being similar to the Trident C-4 although the missile does have much increased accuracy. The Trident D-5 was intended to carry the W-88 warhead, but the production of this warhead was cancelled in 1992 after serious safety concerns surfaced at the plant manufacturing the plutonium pits for the weapon. These problems resulted in the permanent closure of the Rocky Flats facility near Denver, Colorado, and the Trident D-5 was then equipped with the same W-76 warhead of the earlier Trident C-4. As a result, there are two warhead "packages" available for the D-5, a MK 5 reentry vehicle carrying the W-88 warhead and the MK 4 reentry vehicle carrying the W-76 warhead. Accuracy of the D-5 is legendary, with a CEP from 4600 nm away of about 500 ft. The Trident D-5 became operational in March of 1990 and currently equips all the Ohio class ballistic missile submarines. The Trident D-5 is also deployed on the Royal Navy's ballistic missiles submarines, beginning with HMS Vanguard's first patrol in 1994. The D-5 was first tested in January of 1987 and attained operational capability with the fleet in March of 1990. The D-5 is the last nuclear weapon constantly deployed by the US Navy. Weight: 130,000 lbs. Length: 44' Diameter: 6' 11" Propulsion: 3-stage solid fuel rocket motors. Range: 4600 nm Warhead: 8 MIRV W-76 (see the entry for the Trident C-4) or 8 MIRV W-88 warheads of 475 kt each. The W-88 is 68.9" long and 21.8" in diameter, weighing about 800 lbs. About 400 W-88s were manufactured before production ceased. Directory: History History -> Developed for the Ontario Curriculum History -> A chronology 1660-1832 The Restoration Settlement History -> History and Social Science Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence History -> Evolution of the National Weather Service History -> Chronological documentation for the period through 1842 Copyright Bruce Seymour blio, Cadet Papers of Patrick Craigie History -> History of the 14 History -> History of the ports in Georgia History -> That Broad and Beckoning Highway: The Santa Fe Trail and the Rush for Gold in California and Colorado History -> Capitol Reef National Park List of Fruit and Nut Varieties, Including Heirlooms Prepared for the National Park Service through the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit by Kanin Routson and Gary Paul Nabhan, Center for Sustainable Download 182.12 Kb. Share with your friends:
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