SSN 670 On The Surface

Finback Returning To Port

USS Finback SSN 670

• displacement 4229 tons (surf.), 4762 tons (subm.)
• length 292', extrene bean 31.8'
• speed 15k (surf.), 25k (subm.)
• td. 1300'; a. 4-21" torp.tubes amidships aft of bow
• Power plant One S5W nuclear reactor,
  two steam turbines, 15,000 shp, one shaft
• complement 12 officers - 95 enlisted men
• age at time of disposal 28.8 years
• class STURGEON Fast Attack Submarine
• Keel laid down by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, VA, 26JUN67
• Launched: 7DEC68; Sponsored by Mrs. Charles F. Bird
• Commissioned: 2FEB70 with Cdr Robert C. Austin in command
• Decommissioned and struck from the Navy List 28MAR97
• Disposed of 30 OCTOBER 1997.

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SSN 670 Finback Emblem & Patch (click to enlarge)

Sturgeon class

STURGEON class submarines were built for anti-submarine warfare in the late 1960s and 1970s. Using the same propulsion system as their smaller predecessors of the SSN-585 Skipjack and SSN-594 Permit classes, the larger Sturgeons sacrificed speed for greater combat capabilities.

Rapidly being phased out in favor of the LOS ANGELES and SEAWOLF Classes of attack submarines, this venerable and flexible workhorse of the submarine attack fleet continues to operate in the forward areas of the world to this day. Attracting little publicity during its heyday, this class of ship was the platform of choice for many of the Cold War missions for which submarines are now famous. After a 5-year study was completed on the SSN-637 class submarine, the design life was extended from 20 years to 30 years, with a possible extension to 33 years on a case-by-case basis. However, many boats of this class were retired prior to this limit in order to avoid expensive reactor refueling operations.

S5W Power Plant

The first United States Navy submarine to be powered with the Westinghouse S5W design reactor was commissioned in 1959. USS Skipjack was the lead ship of the first class of nuclear-powered submarines built with the Albacore hull design, and also unique in that it was the first nuclear submarine with a single shaft. Placement of the bow planes on the sail greatly reduced flow noise at the bow-mounted sonar. Deep-diving and high speed capabilities were the result of HY-80 construction and a new reactor design, the S5W. This reactor became the US Navy’s standard until the Los Angeles class submarine joined the fleet in the mid-1970’s.