USS Benjamin Franklin class of Submarines

The Benjamin Franklin class of submarines were nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (commonly referred to as "Boomers") used by the United States Navy. The 12 members of the Benjamin Franklin were part of the "41 for Freedom," the ballistic missile submarines that made up the core of the U.S. offensive submarine fleet during the Cold War.

The Benjamin Franklin was ordered in November 1962, was launched in December 1964 and commissioned in October 1965. The class was a substantial improvement in performance and quiet cruising over the older James Madison class. After the Benjamin Franklin, the other members of the class were the USS Simon Bolivar, USS Kamehameha, USS George Bancroft, USS James K. Polk, USS Lewis and Clark, USS George C. Marshall, USS Henry L. Stimson, USS George Washington Carver, USS Francis Scott Key, USS Mariano Vallejo and USS Will Rogers. The Will Rogers, the final member of the class to be completed, was commissioned on April 1, 1967.

When the Benjamin Franklin class submarines were commissioned, their primary offensive weapons were 16 Polaris A-3 ballistic missiles. During overhauls in the early 1970s, each member of the Franklin class underwent major overhauls and was upgraded to carry the new Poseidon C-3 missile system. Several members of the class underwent a second weapons upgrade in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as they were modified to carry 16 Trident-I ballistic missiles.

Though succeeding classes of ballistic missile submarines were built, the Benjamin Franklin class soldiered on in active duty into the 1990s. Several members of the Franklin class, in order to make room for members of the newer Ohio class of ballistic missile submarines while not violating the limitations set forth by the SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) II Treaty with the Soviet Union, had their missile tubes disabled in the early 1990s. Now technically attack submarines, the Kamehameha and James K. Polk were substantially modified to serve as special operations platforms. These modified submarines served longer than their missile-carrying counterparts, with the Kamehameha serving until decommissioning in April 2002. She had been on active duty for 37 years, longer than any other nuclear submarine in American naval history.

Class overview

Builders: General Dynamics Electric Boat
Newport News Shipbuilding
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Operators: United States Navy
Preceded by: James Madison-class
Succeeded by: Ohio-class
Built: 1963 - 1967
In commission: 1965 - 2002
Completed: 12
General characteristics
Length: 425 ft (130 m)
Beam: 33 ft (10 m)
Draft: 31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion: S5W reactor

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