USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)

History of USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)

The nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Los Angeles (SSN-668) was the lead ship of the largest fleet built for the US Navy during the Cold War, with 62 Los Angeles-class ships. The class is designed for anti-submarine warfare, with a focus on repelling Soviet ships, which would likely attack a U.S.

Navy carrier strike group in the event of a full-scale war. Built and launched between 1976 and 1996, the class has been in service since 2013 and is led by its first stage - USS Los Angeles (SSN-688).

At its core, USS Los Angeles is classified as an "assault submarine", so the ship is equipped with multiple primary weapon types to accomplish her offensive missions. These include four bow-mounted 21-inch torpedo tubes supporting the Gould Mark 48 torpedo series. Tomahawk cruise missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles are also part of Los Angeles' force, as are the various defense kits on board - the Mk 60 Captor mine, the Mk 67 mobile mine and the Emerson Electric Mk 2 torpedo decoy system.

The SSN-688's electronics include the BPS-15 surface search radar and several types of passive/active search and attack low frequency sonar systems. In addition, the stage can utilize the sonar array, MIDAS kit and TB-18 passive towed sonar array.

The USS Los Angeles is powered by a single pressurized water-cooled S6G nuclear reactor (based on D2G), which in turn drives 2 x 35,000 hp turbines onto a single shaft in the stern. Auxiliary engines provide an additional output of 325 horsepower on demand. Maximum diving speed (though still classified) is estimated to be around 30 knots, with surface speeds closer to 25 knots.

Due to the nuclear nature of the propulsion system, the range is essentially unlimited.

By design, the Los Angeles has a traditional, modern submarine appearance, with a chiseled tubular hull that tapers at both ends to improve hydrodynamic efficiency. The sails are set midship forward and contain the necessary optics, sensors and communication masts. Add a dorsal and ventral rudder arrangement with outboard stabilizers at the stern.

The multi-blade propeller is the extreme stern of this boat. The ship displaces 5,700 tons when lightly loaded and 6,070 tons when fully loaded. Dimensions include a barrel length of 362 feet, a beam of 32 feet 10 inches and a draft of 30 feet 10 inches.

Los Angeles has officially tested to a depth of 950 feet. The crew normally consists of 134 personnel, including 13 officers and 121 soldiers.

The USS Los Angeles was first laid by the Newport News Shipyard in 1972, launched in 1974, and officially commissioned in 1976 after the West Coast city of Los Angeles. During her tenure, her home port was Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Many of their classes have been retired at the time of writing (2013) as the Los Angeles class has a pedigree dating back to the Cold War 1970s. Notably, the Los Angeles class became the second most expensive submarine class in service with the U.S. Navy, after the Seawolf class.

The original ship was referred to as the "688" due to a modification of the later model of the Los Angeles class, while the "VLS" stood for the USS Providence of USS Newport News and the "688I" for the cover of the USS San Juan USS Cheyenne.

USS Los Angeles was removed from USN service on February 1, 2010, and officially retired on February 4, 2011. A few days ago, on February 2, 2011, her name was removed from the Naval Register.

Specification

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AIR WING