USS Permit class of Submarines

The Permit class of nuclear attack submarines were developed after a study, known as "Project Nobska", was commissioned by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Arleigh Burke in 1956. The class kept the S5W reactor from the older Skipjack class, but was altered in several major ways. They had large bow-mounted sonar and angled, amidships torpedo tubes. They also used a new alloy steel that increased its maximum depth. The class had redesigned engineering spaces with turbines suspended from the hull on sound-damping isolation mounts. The hulls were streamlined and had smaller sails, so even though they were larger than the Skipjack class, they were just as fast.

The move of the torpedo launchers to the middle of the hull left sufficient space for the BQQ-2 sonar system (later replaced by the newer BQQ-5 on younger members of the class). They were originally armed with Mark-37 torpedoes, later replaced by Mark-48 torpedoes. They were also later armed with the Harpoon anti-ship missile system and the UUM-44 SUBROC system.

There were a total of 14 submarines built in the class, originally known as the Thresher class. The Thresher, ordered in January 1958 and commissioned in August 1961, was lost at sea on April 9, 1963 during post-overhaul trials. An investigation into the accident indicated that a leak in the engine room probably shut down the Thresher's reactor and the submarine imploded at a depth between 1,300 and 2,000 feet. Her remains were found in 8,400 feet of water 220 miles off the coast of Cape Cod., Mass., with all 129 crewmembers and officers aboard lost. The Thresher's loss led to the renaming of the class and the start of the SubSafe program, which led to a number of required improvements to each submarine in the Navy's inventory.

Along with the Thresher and Permit, the other members of the class were the USS Plunger, USS Barb, USS Pollack, USS Haddo, USS Jack, USS TInosa, USS Dace, USS Guardfish, USS Flasher, USS Greenling, USS Gato and USS Haddock. The last member of the class to be commissioned, the Haddock, became an active member of the Pacific Fleet in December 1967. They would serve in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets until the Gato was decommissioned in 1996.

Several members of the Permit class were significantly modified during their careers. The engine room in the Jack was lengthened by 10 feet to accommodate an experimental direct-drive propulsion system using concentric counter-rotating propellers, an experiment that failed to produce the desired results.

The Flasher, Greenling and Gato were fitted with heavier machinery and a larger sail, and extended another 10 feet to correct stability problems caused by the weight increase.

Class overview Builders:Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Ingalls Shipbuilding
New York Shipbuilding
General Dynamics Electric Boat
Operators: United States Navy
Preceded by: Skipjack-class submarine
Succeeded by: Sturgeon-class submarine
Built: 1958 - 1967
In commission: 1961 - 1994
Completed: 14
Lost: 1
Retired: 13

General characteristics

Type: Fast attack submarine
Displacement: 3,750 long tons (3,810 t) surfaced
4,300 long tons (4,369 t) submerged
Length: 278 ft 5 in (84.9 m)
Beam: 31 ft 7 in (9.6 m)
Draft: 25 ft 2 in (7.7 m)
Propulsion: 1 S5W PWR
2 steam turbines, 15,000 shp (11 MW)
1 shaft Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+ surfaced
30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)+ submerged
Range: Unlimited, except by food supplies Test depth: 1,300 ft (400 m)
Complement: 112
Sensors and processing systems: BQQ-2 sonar (later BQQ-5)
Mark 113 Fire-control system
Periscopes
Electronic warfare and decoys: ESM
Armament: • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes amidships
• 12-18 × Mark 37 torpedoes, later replaced by Mark 48s
• 4-6 × UUM-44 SUBROC anti-submarine missiles
• 4 × UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles

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