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Boarding the fast-attack 688 Los Angeles / SSN-class USS Honolulu in Pearl Harbor, O'ahu, Hawaii.

 

At the sail (conning tower); note other SSN moored just aft. That one is a newer 688i model with the forward diving planes on the bow instead of on the sail.

On the USS Honolulu's bow, looking forward. Frigates in background.

 

 

View of the helm and dive stations which are just forward of the port periscope.

favorite Missile Boats ("Boomers", SSBNs)

Ohio-class (USA):      New Summary Video! (11.6 MB, WMV)

the boats [18 built]

 

Was 8 C-4's (Pacific) and 10 D-5's (Atlantic), but now the C-4's have been converted. Four went to the D-5 configuration, and the other four serve other special missions as SSGN's (1) (2) (3) (4) -- technology demonstrators to deploy SEALs, fire Tomahawks, and other such systems to have been incorporated into batch 2 of the Virginia-class NSSN's [see lower section].

 

Upon completion of the four C-4 boat conversions to the D-5 configuration, the new total of 14 D-5 SSBN's were redistributed between the two oceans (most likely 7 x 7).

 

submarine evolution to the Ohio

Ohio cutaway

Ohio missile launch cartoon

stealthy Ohio props probably look similar to this Sturgeon-class prop...

...Uh-oh: looks like Microsoft Virtual Earth disclosed the Ohio prop design inadvertently in August 2007, while in drydock at Bangor WA:  (source)

 

 

 

 

under construction

under construction

under construction

the launch of SSBN 728

driving something big

driving something big

damn that's a big boat

you on the boat

returning home

them tiny guys is da crew

driving something big

not desirable duty

enlarged pic, crew on boat, #1...

... #2.

in Seattle: on Puget Sound...

 ...and Hood's Canal.

through Hood's Canal Bridge, WA, on the way to Bangor

loading torpedoes

loading torpedoes

torpedo tube inspection

special missions: SEALs deploy underwater

accident training: flooding

accident training: fire, crew at stations

are these things big or what?

text information...

THE NEXT GENERATION BOOMER: SSBN(X)

missile tubes (24 per boat)

missile tubes open, empty

missile tubes open, full

missile tubes open, close-up

missile tubes open, under way

the missiles (SLBMs): Trident I C-4 (UGM-96) and Trident II D-5 (UGM-133)

[Tridents carry ~1/2 of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, by number of warheads; more info, C-4...  more info, D-5...]

C-4 exploded view

C-4 flight profile

(Note: actual C-4 range is 4000 nm, not the 2500 nm stated here -- that was the range for the C-3 Poseidon; D-5 range is 4000-6000 nm)

C-4 to D-5 comparison

D-5 exploded view

The D-5 and C-4 side by side

how the aerospike works

ground handling / testing

loading a C-4 at port (Bangor, WA)

loading a C-4 at sea

loading a C-4 at sea

 

a way-too-detailed installation drawing of a Trident II missile loaded in an Ohio silo: small (205 kB), big (1.11 MB)

 

(government auditor, I found this in the public domain at http://www.fortunepaint.com/trident_line_art.htm on January 14, 2002; see WHOIS info below for them)

  

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0: T = 0

1: dome penetration

2: underwater ascent

3: coast to apogee, fire

Launch sequences 0 thru 3 (Windows WMV movie, 1.2 MB)

powered flight begins

A dual Trident underwater launch (MPEG movie, 4.0 MB)

oops! a really bad launch on initial D-5 testing

MIRVs hitting targets

the evolution of Fleet Ballistic Missiles

missiles-in-boat-silos evolution, A-1 to D-5

Trident: the big picture

(seen with all other nuclear missile programs)

 

 

START compliance has implemented Trident de-rating (fewer warheads per missile)

 

 

the Re-Entry Vehicles / Bodies & Warheads: W76 and Mk-4 [3200 in inventory, 100 kiloton yield ea.], or W88 and Mk-5 [400 built, 475 kiloton yield ea.]

the operation of a modern nuclear warhead & RV

(W87 Peacekeeper MX ICBM shown)

warheads in the vehicle assembly process

(W87 Peacekeeper MX ICBM shown)

W76 neutron generators being dessicated in support of today's W76 upgrade program to near-W88 lethality

the MC2912 arming, fuzing, and firing system for the W76 & Mk-4

a single W76 or W88 in action

(eight W76's per missile or five* W88's per missile [*could carry 8 but...])

the W88 & Mk-5 package

*Why W88 production was halted at 400 units instead of 4,000 - 5,000 units

(1) (2)...

How the W76's are being upgraded to W88 lethality against hardened targets

Next-generation warheads beyond W76 & W88 for Trident missiles
(1) (2) (3) (complaints about)

Nuclear arsenals of the world, by country

Nuclear weapons FAQ's

a 500 kiloton nuclear explosion  (Ivy KING air-drop Super-Oralloy all-fission bomb) (Quicktime Movie, 3.0 MB)

Typhoon-class (Russia): [6 built]      Great Summary Video on YouTube!

watta tub

el colde loco

two giants at dock

missile tubes open

under way

in drydock

double-thermal undies for deck hands

text information...

great high-res shot...

     

 

favorite Attack Boats

Seawolf-class (USA): [3 built]

good surface pic

sub drivers

sub drivers

more on top

torpedo firing

crew at stations

 

text information...

Virginia / NSSN-class (USA): [still in development and initial production]

Funding overview

Stealth overview

in water w/pointers

at sea

misc. facts and cutaway view (big)

 

 

 

 

text information...

Los Angeles / SSN-class (USA): [62 built; 39 688's, 23 688i's]

Los Angeles-class cutaway

in production

launch ceremony

launch ceremony

in drydock

riding high

boat drivin'

boat drivin'

great tub driver shot

over the shoulder

good bow penetration shot

quite the wake

conning tower boys

resupply visit

mail drop at sea

killing time up topside

not hidden too well

"angles and dangles" emergency surface

(AVI movie, 2.0 MB)

 

underwater Tomahawk launch, view through periscope...

...view from chopper nearby

       

text information...

 

 

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This page was last updated on 01/29/12.