# List of submarine classes of the United States Navy

Submarines of the United States Navy are built in classes, using a single design for a number of boats. Minor variations occur as improvements are incorporated into the design, so later boats of a class may be more capable than earlier. Also, boats are modified, sometimes extensively, while in service, creating departures from the class standard. However, in general, all boats of a class are noticeably similar.
Experimental use: an example is USS Albacore (AGSS-569), which used an unprecedented hull design. In this list such single boat "classes" are marked with "(unique)".

## Pre–World War I

Pre–World War I :
| Class name | No. | Laid down | Last comm. | Notes |
| Alligator | 1 | 1861 | 1862 | First submarine in the U.S. Navy. Purpose was to protect wooden ships against ironclads. |
| Holland | 1 | 1896 | 1900 | 5 others were made; only Holland (SS-1) entered the U.S. Navy as it was the first officially commissioned submarine purchased on 11 April 1900. |
| Plunger | 7 | 1900 | 1903 | Later renamed A class in November 1911, when Navy stopped naming submarines. Essentially enlarged, more powerful Holland. |
| B | 3 | 1905 | 1907 | Last in series of Holland-like submarines. Originally known as Viper class. |
| C | 5 | 1905 | 1910 | Designed by Lawrence York Spear. Originally known as the Octopus class. |
| D | 3 | 1908 | 1910 | Originally known as the Narwhal class. Designed to survive flooding in one compartment. |
| E | 2 | 1909 | 1912 | First US Navy diesel-powered submarine. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. |
| F | 4 | 1909 | 1913 | In 1920, the class was designated SS-20–SS-23. |
| G | 4 | 1909 | 1914 | Used gasoline engine. G-1 (SS-19½) set the submerged depth record in 1915, 256 feet (78 m). G-1 (SS-19½) was given the number 19½ because SS- numbers were given after her decommissioning; she was between SS-19 & SS-20. |
| H | 9 | 1911 | 1918 | 3 originally ordered by U.S. Navy. 17 ordered by the Imperial Russian Navy, 11 delivered. Other 6 bought by U.S. Navy. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. |
| K | 8 | 1912 | 1912 | Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. K-1 (SS-32), K-2 (SS-33), K-5 (SS-36), K-6 (SS-37) were the first U.S. submarines to see action in World War I. |
| L | 11 | 1914 | 1918 | The first US submarines with a deck gun. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Designed for coastal defense. |
| M-1 | 1 | 1914 | 1918 | Double-hull design. Twenty percent larger than the K class. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Considered failure by the submarine community. |
| N | 7 | 1915 | 1918 | Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Used for coastal patrol. |
| O | 16 | 1916 | 1918 | Each cost $550,000. First submarines with reliable diesel engines. Every man had his own berth and locker. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. O-11 through O-16 (built by Lake Torpedo Boat Company) also known as the "modified O-class". Modified boats proved to be disappointing and were scrapped in 1930; Lake went out of business in 1925. |
| AA-1 | 3 | 1916 | 1922 | Later renamed T class. Designed for 5,540 miles (8,920 km) at 14 knots (7.2 m/s), but performed 3,000 miles (4,800 km) at 11 knots (5.7 m/s). Prototype "fleet submarines"—submarines fast enough (21 knots (11 m/s)) to travel with battleships. Twice the size of any concurrent or past U.S. submarine. A poor tandem engine design caused the boats to be decommissioned by 1923 and scrapped in 1930. |

## World War I

World War I :
| Class name | No. | Laid down | Last comm. | Notes |
| R | 20 | 1917 | 1918 | Larger conning tower to serve as commanding officer's battle station. Fired Mark 10 torpedoes and traveled 5,000 miles (8,000 km) at 10 knots (5.1 m/s). |
| R-21 | 7 | 1917 | 1919 | Designed by Simon Lake. Generally similar to R class, but smaller and reverted to 18-inch torpedo tubes. Scrapped in 1930; Lake went out of business in 1925. |
| S | 51 | 1917 | 1922 | The S class is subdivided into four groups of different designs. |

## Interwar

Interwar :
| Class name | No. | First ship laid down | Last ship commissioned | Notes |
| Barracuda | 3 | USS Barracuda (SS-163) and USS Bass (SS-164) 20 October 1921 | USS Bonita (SS-165) 22 May 1926 | |
| Argonaut | 1 | 1 May 1925 | 2 April 1928 | Unique submarine; mine-laying submarine |
| Narwhal | 2 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) 10 May 1927 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) 1 July 1930 | |
| Dolphin | 1 | 14 June 1930 | 1 June 1932 | Unique submarine |
| Cachalot | 2 | USS Cachalot (SS-170) 7 October 1931 | USS Cuttlefish (SS-171) 8 June 1934 | |
| Porpoise | 10 | USS Porpoise (SS-172) 24 October 1933 | USS Pompano (SS-181) 12 June 1937 | |
| Salmon | 6 | USS Salmon (SS-182) 15 April 1936 | USS Skipjack (SS-184) 30 June 1938 | |
| Sargo | 10 | USS Sargo (SS-188) 12 May 1937 | USS Seawolf (SS-197) 1 December 1939 | |
| Tambor | 12 | USS Tambor (SS-198) 16 January 1939 | USS Grayback (SS-208) 30 June 1941 | |
| Mackerel | 2 | USS Mackerel (SS-204) 6 October 1939 | USS Marlin (SS-205) 1 August 1941 | |
| Gato | 77 | USS Drum (SS-228) 11 September 1940 | USS Croaker (SS-246) 21 April 1944 | USS Drum was only boat actually commissioned before US Entry to WWII |

## World War II

World War II :
| Class name | No. | First ship laid down | Last ship commissioned | Notes |
| Balao | 120 | USS Devilfish (SS-292) 31 March 1942 | USS Tiru (SS-416) 1 September 1948 | 62 cancelled |
| Tench | 29 | USS Amberjack (SS-522), USS Grampus (SS-523), USS Pickerel (SS-524), and USS Grenadier (SS-525) 8 February 1944 | USS Grenadier (SS-525) 10 February 1951 | 51 cancelled |

## Cold War
### Diesel-Electric Submarines (SSs, SSKs, and SSGs)

| Class Name | Class Name | Class Name | Class Name | Class Name | Class Name | No. | No. | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes |
| Barracuda | Barracuda | Barracuda | Barracuda | Barracuda | Barracuda | 3 | 3 | USS Barracuda (SSK-1) 1 July 1949 | USS Barracuda (SSK-1) 1 July 1949 | USS Barracuda (SSK-1) 1 July 1949 | USS Barracuda (SSK-1) 1 July 1949 | USS Barracuda (SSK-1) 1 July 1949 | USS Barracuda (SSK-1) 1 July 1949 | USS Bonita (SSK-3) 11 January 1952 | USS Bonita (SSK-3) 11 January 1952 | USS Bonita (SSK-3) 11 January 1952 | USS Bonita (SSK-3) 11 January 1952 | USS Bonita (SSK-3) 11 January 1952 | USS Bonita (SSK-3) 11 January 1952 | USS Bonita (SSK-3) 11 January 1952 | USS Bonita (SSK-3) 11 January 1952 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tang | Tang | Tang | Tang | Tang | Tang | 6 | 6 | USS Tang (SS-563) 18 April 1949 | USS Tang (SS-563) 18 April 1949 | USS Tang (SS-563) 18 April 1949 | USS Tang (SS-563) 18 April 1949 | USS Tang (SS-563) 18 April 1949 | USS Tang (SS-563) 18 April 1949 | USS Gudgeon (SS-567) 21 November 1952 | USS Gudgeon (SS-567) 21 November 1952 | USS Gudgeon (SS-567) 21 November 1952 | USS Gudgeon (SS-567) 21 November 1952 | USS Gudgeon (SS-567) 21 November 1952 | USS Gudgeon (SS-567) 21 November 1952 | USS Gudgeon (SS-567) 21 November 1952 | USS Gudgeon (SS-567) 21 November 1952 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Grayback | Grayback | Grayback | Grayback | Grayback | Grayback | 2 | 2 | USS Grayback (SSG-574) 1 July 1954 | USS Grayback (SSG-574) 1 July 1954 | USS Grayback (SSG-574) 1 July 1954 | USS Grayback (SSG-574) 1 July 1954 | USS Grayback (SSG-574) 1 July 1954 | USS Grayback (SSG-574) 1 July 1954 | USS Growler (SSG-577) 30 August 1958 | USS Growler (SSG-577) 30 August 1958 | USS Growler (SSG-577) 30 August 1958 | USS Growler (SSG-577) 30 August 1958 | USS Growler (SSG-577) 30 August 1958 | USS Growler (SSG-577) 30 August 1958 | USS Growler (SSG-577) 30 August 1958 | USS Growler (SSG-577) 30 August 1958 | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines | Regulus missile submarines |
| Darter | Darter | Darter | Darter | Darter | Darter | 1 | 1 | 10 November 1954 | 10 November 1954 | 10 November 1954 | 10 November 1954 | 10 November 1954 | 10 November 1954 | 20 October 1956 | 20 October 1956 | 20 October 1956 | 20 October 1956 | 20 October 1956 | 20 October 1956 | 20 October 1956 | 20 October 1956 | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine | Unique submarine |
| Barbel | Barbel | Barbel | Barbel | Barbel | Barbel | 3 | 3 | USS Barbel (SS-580) 18 May 1956 | USS Barbel (SS-580) 18 May 1956 | USS Barbel (SS-580) 18 May 1956 | USS Barbel (SS-580) 18 May 1956 | USS Barbel (SS-580) 18 May 1956 | USS Barbel (SS-580) 18 May 1956 | USS Blueback (SS-581) 15 October 1959 | USS Blueback (SS-581) 15 October 1959 | USS Blueback (SS-581) 15 October 1959 | USS Blueback (SS-581) 15 October 1959 | USS Blueback (SS-581) 15 October 1959 | USS Blueback (SS-581) 15 October 1959 | USS Blueback (SS-581) 15 October 1959 | USS Blueback (SS-581) 15 October 1959 | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines | First production submarines with teardrop hull. U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines |

### Nuclear Attack Submarines (SSNs)

| Class Name | No. | First boat laid down | Last boat commissioned | Notes |
| Nautilus | 1 | 14 June 1952 | 30 September 1954 | First nuclear submarine; hull design enlarged from fleet boat |
| Seawolf | 1 | 7 December 1953 | 30 March 1957 | Unique submarine; liquid metal cooled (sodium) S2G reactor (replaced with a pressurized-water reactor in 1959) |
| Skate | 4 | USS Skate (SSN-578) 21 July 1955 | USS Seadragon (SSN-584) 5 December 1959 | |
| Skipjack | 6 | USS Skipjack (SSN-585) 29 May 1956 | USS Snook (SSN-592) 24 October 1961 | First nuclear submarine class with teardrop hull form. USS Scorpion lost at sea 1968. |
| Thresher/Permit | 14 | USS Thresher (SSN-593) 28 May 1958 | USS Gato (SSN-615) 25 January 1968 | First class with bow sonar sphere. Known as Thresher class until the loss of the USS Thresher (SSN-593) in 1963 |
| Tullibee | 1 | 26 May 1958 | 9 November 1960 | Unique submarine; turbo-electric transmission |
| Sturgeon | 37 | USS Sturgeon (SSN-637) 10 August 1963 | USS Richard B. Russell (SSN-687) 16 August 1975 | Redesign of Thresher/Permit class using lessons learned from loss of Thresher. |
| Narwhal | 1 | 17 January 1966 | 12 July 1969 | Unique submarine; natural circulation S5G reactor |
| Glenard P. Lipscomb | 1 | 5 June 1971 | 21 December 1974 | Unique submarine; turbo-electric transmission |
| Los Angeles | 62 | USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) 8 January 1972 | USS Cheyenne (SSN-773) 13 September 1996 | |
| Seawolf | 3 | USS Seawolf (SSN-21) 25 October 1989 | USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) 19 February 2005 | Planned successor of Los Angeles class. High costs caused only three to be built. |

### Nuclear Cruise Missile Submarines (SSGNs)

Note: Several boats were converted into cruise missile submarines after construction, the USS Halibut was the only purpose built SSGN of the US Navy :
| Class Name | Class Name | Class Name | Class Name | Class Name | No. | No. | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | First boat laid down | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Last boat commissioned | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Notes | Picture/Silhouette |
| Halibut | Halibut | Halibut | Halibut | Halibut | 1 | 1 | 11 April 1957 | 11 April 1957 | 11 April 1957 | 11 April 1957 | 11 April 1957 | 11 April 1957 | 11 April 1957 | 4 January 1960 | 4 January 1960 | 4 January 1960 | 4 January 1960 | 4 January 1960 | 4 January 1960 | 4 January 1960 | 4 January 1960 | 4 January 1960 | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine | |

### Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs)

| Class Name | No. | First boat laid down | Last boat commissioned | Notes |
| George Washington | 5 | USS George Washington (SSBN-598) 1 November 1957 | USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) 11 March 1961 | |
| Ethan Allen | 5 | USS Ethan Allen (SSBN-608) 14 September 1959 | USS Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618) 4 January 1963 | Ethan Allen was the only SSBN to fire live missile and detonate nuclear warhead at test range proving theory. |
| Lafayette | 9 | USS Lafayette (SSBN-616) 17 January 1961 | USS Daniel Webster (SSBN-626) 09 April 1964 | |
| James Madison | 10 | USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629) 6 February 1962 | USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636) 19 December 1964 | |
| Benjamin Franklin | 12 | USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) 25 May 1963 | USS Will Rogers (SSBN-659) 1 April 1967 | Redesigned using lessons learned from loss of Thresher. |
| Ohio | 18 | USS Ohio (SSBN-726) 10 April 1976 | USS Louisiana (SSBN-743) 6 September 1997 | |

### Deep-submergence vehicles (DSVs)

| Class Name | No. | First boat laid down | Last boat commissioned | Notes |
| Trieste class | 2 | Trieste (DSV-0) 1958 | Trieste II (DSV-1) 1969 | The Trieste was the first submarine which reached the Challenger Deep by Swiss Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh in 1960. |
| Alvin class | 4 | Alvin (DSV-2) 5 June 1964 | Nemo (DSV-5) 1970 | |
| NR-1 | 1 | 10 June 1967 | 27 October 1969 | |

### Miscellaneous Submarines (SSTs, SSRs, AGSSs & SSRNs)

| Class Name | No. | First boat laid down | Last boat commissioned | Notes |
| Albacore | 1 | 15 March 1952 | 6 December 1953 | Unique submarine; teardrop hull form; no weapons |
| T-1 | 2 | USS T-1, later USS Mackerel (SST-1) 1 April 1952 | USS T-2, later USS Marlin (SST-2) 20 November 1953 | Training and experimental submarines |
| Sailfish | 2 | USS Sailfish (SSR-572) 8 December 1953 | USS Salmon (SSR-573) 25 August 1956 | Radar picket |
| Triton | 1 | 29 May 1956 | 10 November 1959 | Unique submarine; Radar picket; Twin S4G Nuclear Reactors |
| Dolphin | 1 | 9 November 1962 | 17 August 1968 | Unique submarine; research and development for deep diving technologies; last operational U.S. Navy diesel-electric submarine; Decommissioned 15 January 2007 |

## Post–Cold War

Post–Cold War :
| Class name | Number of boats | First boat laid down | Last boat commissioned | Notes |
| Virginia | 48 (planned) | USS Virginia (SSN-774) 2 September 1999 | USS New Jersey (SSN-796) September 14, 2024 | Attack submarine. 23 commissioned as of September 2024. |
| Columbia | 12 (planned) | USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) (planned) | | Ballistic missile submarine |