SSN-578 Skate Class

Overview

The Skate-class submarines were the United States Navy's first production run of nuclear powered submarines. They were an evolution of the Tang Class in everything but their propulsion plants, which were based on the experimental USS Nautilus.

The four Skate class boats re-introduced stern torpedo tubes. Although among the smallest nuclear powered attack submarines ever built, the Skate class served for several decades, with the last being decommissioned in 1989. USS Skate was the first submarine to surface at the North Pole, on March 17, 1959.

Skate and Sargo were built with the S3W reactor,^[1][2] Swordfish and Seadragon also had the S3W reactor in the S4W reactor plant (same machinery in an alternate arrangement).

Specifications:

General Dynamics Electric Boat
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard

1955–1959

1957–1989

2,290 tons surfaced

2,900 tons submerged

267 ft 7 in (81.56 m)

25 ft (7.6 m)

21 ft 3 in (6.48 m)

Skate and Sargo were built with the S3W reactor.
Swordfish and Seadragon also had the S3W reactor in the S4W reactor plant
(same machinery in an alternate arrangement).

18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) surfaced
22 knots (25 mph; 41 km/h) submerged

700 ft (210 m)

84 officers and men

8 × 21 in (530 mm) torpedo tubes (6 forward, 2 aft)