RESEARCH SUBMARINES, Part 9
1 Dolphin-class AGSS: Displacement: 860 tons surf/950 tons subm; Speed: 7.5kts surf/15kts subm; Crew: 48; Armament: unarmed
An experimental, deep-diving submarine and the last non-nuclear submarine to be built by the USN. The DOLPHIN has operated at greater depths than any other operational U.S. submarine.
AGSS-555 Dolphin.
1 Tang-class SS: Displacement: 2,100 tons surf/2,700 tons subm; Speed: 16kts surf/16kts subm; Crew: 88. Armament: 6 bow 21in torpedo tubes, 2 stern 21in torpedo tubes.
The last diesel-electric submarine retained by the USN. This submarine is not operational and is considered “floating equipment”; however, maintenance and preparations for getting her underway have begun. Plans are to use this submarine as an underwater acoustic target for research and development, operational testing and anti-submarine warfare training by Naval Reservists.
The interest in an ASW target stems from the submarine force being all nuclear. The SSNs cannot effectively simulate diesel-electric submarine targets for anti-submarine forces. They are too large, have very different signatures from the typical submarines operated by Third World navies and are operated quite unlike the submarines the USN could be fighting in a future conflict.
In addition, the current force level goal of 55 SSNs provides too few submarines for training air and surface ASW forces.
SS-566 Trout.
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The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
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