Length:
279 ft (85 m)
Beam: 32 ft (10 m)
Draft: 29 ft (9 m)
Displacement: 4,300 tons
Crew: 128
Armament: 4 21-inch (533-mm) torpedo tubes, mines
First Sub Commissioned: August 3, 1961
Maximum Speed: 30 knots (35 mph/56 kph)
The
Thresher class of attack submarines was stronger, faster,
deeper diving, and quieter than the Skipjacks, thanks to
a variety of materials and streamlining improvements. The
class’s name was changed to Permit after the submarine Thresher
sank off New England in 1963, killing 129. The Thresher
tragedy inspired creation of the SubSafe Program, attributed
with dramatically improving safety for the entire U.S. submarine
fleet.
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