In the 1950’s and 60’s few systems were available that could destroy missile systems, making SSBN’s an asset to nuclear deterrence. Before Polaris’s creation, the systems in place lacked the range needed to form a major attack on Soviet targets. The Polaris was developed to complement the limited number of medium range systems that were in use throughout Europe. The 41 submarines were built to carry the Polaris A-1 missile. The USS George Washington was built in response to Russia’s use of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. Their use has been dominated by the United States and Russia, in part due to the 1950’s and the threat of nuclear attacks. Their primary mission was nuclear detection making them a major weapon during the Cold War. Compared to an SSN, the SSBN was designed for specific strategic attacks. The original 41 SSBNs could fire missiles thousands of kilometers from their targets and were extremely quiet making them difficult to detect. The SS denotes submarine, the B means ballistic missile and the N denotes that the submarine is nuclear powered. The most obvious difference is the use of ballistic missiles onboard an SSBN. For many visitors to the museum who are not familiar with submarine history, they wonder what is the difference between an SSN and a SSBN. In 1969, SSBN’s were converted to carry the more accurate Poseidon missiles which would change again in 1979 when the Trident I missiles were created. From 1960-1969, each SSBN carried 16 Polaris nuclear missiles. The home base for the Atlantic fleets were Groton, Ct and Charleston, SC with the Pacific Fleet based at Naval Base Pearl Harbor. Crews would be flown from their home bases to their deployment site and perform a 30-day refit followed by a 70-day deterrent patrol. There was usually a 3-day turnover period on each end of a deployment period. The Blue and Gold crews rotate on approximately 100 – day intervals for the ship to remain on a continuous patrol.

Navy launched 41 “boomers.” A boomer is slang for a Ballistic missile submarine that operates on a two-man crew system. Not only were these SSBN’s being created to keep and preserve our freedom from Soviet threats, but they were named for men who had played a role in America’s rise to greatness.įrom 1960 to 1966, the U.S. All 41 submarines created during this time were named for eminent figures in American history, giving the nickname a double meaning. The idea of the nuclear triad was to reduce the possibility of an enemy to destroy all a country’s nuclear defenses an idea that was considered an imminent threat during the Cold War. This triad consisted of land based ballistic missiles, strategic bombers and submarine launched missiles. The furious pace in which submarines were built in the 1960’s was a major component of the United States Strategic Triad. The USS George Washington was the first in a group nicknamed the “41 for Freedom.” These 41 submarines were revolutionary, not just for the US Navy but Navies around the world. In last week’s blog, we talked about SSBN 598 as the beginning of a group of submarines that would take submarine development in a new direction. The name “41 for Freedom” conjures images of greatness, power, and the beginning of something new.

U.s.s francis scott key