Generally
similar to the SSBN-616 Lafayette-class, the twelve Benjamin
Franklin (SSBN-640)-class submarines had a quieter
machinery design, and were thus considered a separate class.
Lockheed
commenced the TRIDENT I (C4) program in November of 1973
with the missile's IOC date established as 1979. The first
of the new Ohio-Class submarines was authorized in 1974 but
would not be available until 1979. Thus the Navy decided to
borrow a page from the Extended Refit Program (ERP) book and
a C3 to C4 SSBN "backfit" program was initiated in
mid- 1976. The first boat in this SSBN backfit was the
Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657). Following the deployment on 20
October 1979 of TRIDENT I (C4) missiles on the Francis Scott,
other selected SSBNs were backfitted with the C4 [referred
to as follow-on backfits]. Two additional SSBNs of this
class (655 and 658) underwent the "pierside
backfit" while three others (640, 641, and 643) were
backfitted during their normally-scheduled second shipyard
overhauls.
Two
of these submarines [Kamehameha and James K Polk]
were later converted to SEAL-mission capable attack
submarines. In March of 1994 USS JAMES K. POLK (SSN 645)
completed a 19-month conversion from ballistic missile
submarine to attack/special warfare submarine at Newport
News Shipbuilding. The January 1999 inactivation of the POLK
leaves the KAMEHAMEHA (SSN 642) as the Navy's only former
ballistic missile submarine equiped with Dry Deck Shelters (DDSs).
Specifications
Builders:
General Dynamics
Electric Boat Division. Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Newport News Shipbuilding
