The Blogs: America’s quarter millennium: a decisive moment for the U.S. and the world

Slightly more than 250 years ago, the relationship between the American colonies and the British monarch who ruled them, George III, had exhausted itself. The Petition to the King passed by the Continental Congress of 26 October 1774, a document well worth reading this Independence Day weekend, described a state of affairs which reasonable men could no longer tolerate. His Majesty was, like many a king, not a reasonable man, so matters came to a head astonishingly quickly for an age in which news travelled at the speed of a horse.

On 19 April 1775, on Lexington Green outside Boston, Massachusetts, Captain John Parker’s militia and the King’s army disagreed, violently. America was born in fire, and the first eight Americans gave their lives for the cause of independence. Eleven months hence, the British Army and the Royal Navy abandoned Boston, permanently. Having proven its vitality in battle, America declared that “these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States” on 4 July, a quarter of a millennium ago. On 9 September, the name of the new country was changed to the United States.

A great deal has happened since then, far from all of it good. To ensure its continued existence, the United States should rediscover the courage, energy and sense of purpose which carried the nation’s founders from writing a petition to their king to naming a new nation, in less than two years. Given the fact that the U.S. is by far the most powerful nation in the world, this is of decisive importance not just for America, but for all mankind.

America needs to rediscover another thing, which had become its calling card in the 20th century, and with which it is having significant problems in the 21st – large-scale industrial production. Courtesy of Google’s Gemini large language model (LLM), more commonly known as artificial intelligence – without so much as a subscription, merely by accessing https://gemini.google.com/ – here is a list of the commissioning (service entry) of all American nuclear-powered general-purpose attack submarines (SSNs) and ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Note just how severely construction has slowed down in the last 30 years, and how this slowdown compares to the single year 1964:

“The list below traces all 146 SSNs and 59 SSBNs built or currently serving in the United States Navy from 1954 to 2026, chronologically by their first day in active service.

(Note: Early SSBNs that were converted to attack or special operations hulls later in life—like the early George Washington or Ethan Allen hulls—are listed by their initial SSBN commissioning. The four Ohio-class hulls that became Guided Missile Submarines (SSGNs) in the 2000s are listed under their original SSBN commissioning dates.)

The Pioneer Eras (1954–1960)

The dawn of nuclear power, shifting from experimental “one-off” testbeds to the first functional production classes.

USS Nautilus (SSN-571) – September 30, 1954 (World’s first nuclear-powered vessel)
USS Seawolf (SSN-575) – March 30, 1957
USS Skate (SSN-578) – December 23, 1957 (Lead boat of the first production class)
USS Swordfish (SSN-579) – September 15, 1958
USS Sargo (SSN-583) – October 1, 1958
USS Seadragon (SSN-584) – December 5, 1959
USS Skipjack (SSN-585) – April 15, 1959 (First teardrop hydrodynamic hull)
USS George Washington (SSBN-598) – December 30, 1959 (World’s first SSBN)
USS Triton (SSN-586) – November 10, 1959 (Massive dual-reactor picket sub)
USS Halibut (SSN-587) – January 4, 1960 (Built as cruise-missile SSGN, became famous special ops SSN)
USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599) – April 11, 1960
USS Scamp (SSN-588) – June 5, 1960
USS Scorpion (SSN-589) – July 29, 1960 (Tragically lost at sea, 1968)
USS Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600) – February 13, 1961
USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601) – September 16, 1960
USS Tullibee (SSN-597) – November 9, 1960 (Experimental turbo-electric drive)
USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) – December 11, 1960

The Early Cold War Expansion & “41 for Freedom” (1961–1969)

A massive build-up during the height of the Cold War, introducing deep-diving attack submarines and the rapid deployment of the original strategic ballistic missile fleet.

USS Thresher (SSN-593) – August 3, 1961 (Tragically lost at sea during deep-dive trials, 1963)
USS Ethan Allen (SSBN-608) – August 8, 1961 (First purpose-built SSBN class)
USS Shark (SSN-591) – February 9, 1961
USS Snook (SSN-592) – October 24, 1961
USS Sam Houston (SSBN-609) – March 6, 1962
USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610) – March 10, 1962
USS John Marshall (SSBN-611) – May 21, 1962
USS Permit (SSN-594) – May 29, 1962 (Class renamed Permit after Thresher disaster)
USS Plunger (SSN-595) – November 21, 1962
USS Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618) – January 4, 1963
USS Lafayette (SSBN-616) – April 23, 1963 (Lead boat of the prolific Lafayette class)
USS Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617) – June 27, 1963
USS Barb (SSN-596) – August 24, 1963
USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619) – July 3, 1963
USS John Adams (SSBN-620) – January 30, 1964
USS Nathan Hale (SSBN-623) – November 23, 1963
USS James Monroe (SSBN-622) – December 7, 1963
USS Woodrow Wilson (SSBN-624) – December 27, 1963
USS Henry Clay (SSBN-625) – February 20, 1964
USS Pollack (SSN-603) – May 26, 1964
USS Dace (SSN-607) – April 4, 1964
USS Daniel Webster (SSBN-626) – April 9, 1964
USS James Madison (SSBN-627) – July 28, 1964
USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628) – May 29, 1964
USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629) – April 23, 1964
USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630) – September 15, 1964
USS Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631) – July 17, 1964
USS Von Steuben (SSBN-632) – September 30, 1964
USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633) – August 14, 1964
USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634) – August 26, 1964
USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) – December 2, 1964
USS Haddo (SSN-604) – December 16, 1964
USS Jack (SSN-605) – March 6, 1967
USS Tinosa (SSN-606) – November 17, 1964
USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636) – December 19, 1964
USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) – October 22, 1965
USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641) – October 29, 1965
USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642) – December 10, 1965
USS George Washington Carver (SSBN-656) – June 15, 1966
USS Guardfish (SSN-612) – December 20, 1966
USS Flasher (SSN-613) – July 22, 1966
USS Greenling (SSN-614) – November 3, 1967
USS Gato (SSN-615) – January 25, 1968
USS Haddock (SSN-621) – December 22, 1967
USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN-644) – December 22, 1965
USS George C. Marshall (SSBN-654) – April 29, 1966
USS Henry L. Stimson (SSBN-655) – August 20, 1966
USS George Bancroft (SSBN-643) – January 22, 1966
USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645) – April 16, 1966
USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657) – December 3, 1966
USS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658) – December 16, 1966
USS Will Rogers (SSBN-659) – April 1, 1967 (The 41st and final of the “41 for Freedom” SSBNs)
USS Sturgeon (SSN-637) – March 3, 1967 (Lead boat of the Sturgeon class)
USS Whale (SSN-638) – October 12, 1968
USS Tautog (SSN-639) – August 17, 1968
USS Grayling (SSN-646) – October 11, 1969
USS Pogy (SSN-647) – May 15, 1971
USS Aspro (SSN-648) – February 20, 1969
USS Sunfish (SSN-649) – March 15, 1969
USS Pargo (SSN-650) – January 5, 1968
USS Queenfish (SSN-651) – December 6, 1966
USS Puffer (SSN-652) – August 9, 1969
USS Ray (SSN-653) – April 12, 1967

The Sturgeon Prolificacy & Late Cold War Espionage (1970–1975)

The Sturgeon class fills out the ranks, proving highly capable of operating under the Arctic ice cap for trailing Soviet ballistic submarines.

USS Sand Lance (SSN-660) – September 25, 1971
USS Lapon (SSN-661) – December 14, 1968
USS Gurnard (SSN-662) – December 6, 1968
USS Hammerhead (SSN-663) – June 28, 1968
USS Sea Devil (SSN-664) – January 30, 1969
USS Guitarro (SSN-665) – September 9, 1972
USS Hawkbill (SSN-666) – January 11, 1971
USS Bergall (SSN-667) – June 13, 1969
USS Spadefish (SSN-668) – August 14, 1969
USS Seahorse (SSN-669) – September 19, 1969
USS Finback (SSN-670) – February 4, 1970
USS Narwhal (SSN-671) – July 12, 1969 (A unique, ultra-quiet natural circulation testbed)
USS Pintado (SSN-672) – September 11, 1971
USS Flying Fish (SSN-673) – April 29, 1970
USS Trepang (SSN-674) – August 14, 1970
USS Bluefish (SSN-675) – January 8, 1971
USS Billfish (SSN-676) – March 12, 1971
USS Drum (SSN-677) – April 15, 1972
USS Archerfish (SSN-678) – December 17, 1971
USS Silversides (SSN-679) – June 15, 1972
USS William H. Bates (SSN-680) – May 5, 1973
USS Batfish (SSN-681) – June 21, 1972
USS Tunny (SSN-682) – January 26, 1974
USS Parche (SSN-683) – August 17, 1974 (Became the most decorated vessel in US history via intelligence missions)
USS Cavalla (SSN-684) – February 9, 1973
USS Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685) – December 21, 1974 (Experimental turbo-electric test sub)
USS L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) – February 1, 1975
USS Richard B. Russell (SSN-687) – August 16, 1975

The Los Angeles Class & Ohio Class Era (1976–1996)

The implementation of the massive, high-speed 688 “L.A. Class” attack hulls alongside the arrival of the apex strategic deterrent: the mammoth Ohio-class hulls.

USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) – November 13, 1976 (Lead boat of the 62-ship class)
USS Baton Rouge (SSN-689) – June 25, 1977
USS Philadelphia (SSN-690) – June 25, 1977
USS Memphis (SSN-691) – December 17, 1977
USS Omaha (SSN-692) – March 11, 1978
USS Cincinnati (SSN-693) – June 10, 1978
USS Groton (SSN-694) – July 8, 1978
USS Birmingham (SSN-695) – March 23, 1980
USS New York City (SSN-696) – March 3, 1979
USS Indianapolis (SSN-697) – January 5, 1980
USS Bremerton (SSN-698) – March 28, 1981
USS Jacksonville (SSN-699) – May 16, 1981
USS Dallas (SSN-700) – July 18, 1981
USS La Jolla (SSN-701) – September 24, 1981
USS Phoenix (SSN-702) – December 19, 1981
USS Boston (SSN-703) – January 30, 1982
USS Baltimore (SSN-704) – July 24, 1982
USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN-705) – January 8, 1983
USS Albuquerque (SSN-706) – May 21, 1983
USS Portsmouth (SSN-707) – October 1, 1983
USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (SSN-708) – March 10, 1984
USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709) – July 21, 1984
USS Augusta (SSN-710) – January 19, 1985
USS Ohio (SSBN-726) – November 11, 1981 (Lead boat of the massive current strategic fleet)
USS Michigan (SSBN-727) – September 11, 1982
USS Florida (SSBN-728) – June 18, 1983
USS Georgia (SSBN-729) – February 11, 1984
USS San Francisco (SSN-711) – May 31, 1981
USS Atlanta (SSN-712) – March 6, 1982
USS Houston (SSN-713) – September 25, 1982
USS Norfolk (SSN-714) – November 21, 1981
USS Buffalo (SSN-715) – November 5, 1983
USS Salt Lake City (SSN-716) – May 12, 1984
USS Honolulu (SSN-717) – July 6, 1985
USS Providence (SSN-719) – July 27, 1985 (First 688 equipped with Vertical Launch System tubes)
USS Pittsburgh (SSN-720) – November 23, 1985
USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730) – October 6, 1984
USS Alabama (SSBN-731) – May 25, 1985
USS Alaska (SSBN-732) – January 25, 1986
USS Nevada (SSBN-733) – August 16, 1986
USS Chicago (SSN-721) – September 27, 1986
USS Key West (SSN-722) – September 12, 1987
USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723) – July 9, 1988
USS Louisville (SSN-724) – November 8, 1986
USS Helena (SSN-725) – July 11, 1987
USS Newport News (SSN-750) – June 3, 1989
USS San Juan (SSN-751) – August 6, 1988 (First of the upgraded, ultra-quiet “688I” Improved line)
USS Pasadena (SSN-752) – February 11, 1989
USS Henry M. Schley (Renamed/built as USS Albany SSN-753) – April 7, 1990
USS Topeka (SSN-754) – October 21, 1989
USS Miami (SSN-755) – June 30, 1990
USS Scranton (SSN-756) – January 26, 1991
USS Alexandria (SSN-757) – June 29, 1991
USS Asheville (SSN-758) – September 28, 1991
USS Jefferson City (SSN-759) – February 29, 1992
USS Annapolis (SSN-760) – April 11, 1992
USS Springfield (SSN-761) – January 9, 1993
USS Columbus (SSN-762) – July 24, 1993
USS Santa Fe (SSN-763) – January 8, 1994
USS Boise (SSN-764) – September 17, 1992
USS Montpelier (SSN-765) – March 13, 1993
USS Charlotte (SSN-766) – September 16, 1994
USS Hampton (SSN-767) – November 6, 1993
USS Hartford (SSN-768) – December 10, 1994
USS Toledo (SSN-769) – February 24, 1995
USS Tucson (SSN-770) – August 18, 1995
USS Columbia (SSN-771) – October 9, 1995
USS Greeneville (SSN-772) – February 16, 1996
USS Cheyenne (SSN-773) – September 13, 1996 (The 62nd and final Los Angeles-class submarine)
USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-734) – October 12, 1989
USS West Virginia (SSBN-735) – October 20, 1990
USS Kentucky (SSBN-737) – July 13, 1991
USS Maryland (SSBN-738) – June 13, 1992
USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) – July 10, 1993
USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740) – July 9, 1994
USS Maine (SSBN-741) – July 29, 1995
USS Wyoming (SSBN-742) – July 13, 1996
USS Louisiana (SSBN-743) – September 6, 1997 (The 18th and final Ohio-class hull built)

Seawolf & The Dawn of the Virginia Class (1997–2015)

The post-Cold War transition from the insanely advanced but prohibitively expensive Seawolf class to the highly modular, cost-efficient Virginia class.

USS Seawolf (SSN-21) – July 19, 1997 (Fastest, deepest-diving, most heavily armed attack sub)
USS Connecticut (SSN-22) – December 11, 1998
USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) – February 19, 2005 (Extended hull built for clandestine espionage/seabed warfare)
USS Virginia (SSN-774) – October 23, 2004 (Lead boat of the modern standard attack line)
USS Texas (SSN-775) – September 9, 2006
USS Hawaii (SSN-776) – May 5, 2007
USS North Carolina (SSN-777) – May 3, 2008
USS New Hampshire (SSN-778) – October 25, 2008
USS New Mexico (SSN-779) – March 27, 2010
USS Missouri (SSN-780) – July 31, 2010
USS California (SSN-781) – October 29, 2011
USS Mississippi (SSN-782) – June 2, 2012
USS Minnesota (SSN-783) – September 7, 2013
USS North Dakota (SSN-784) – October 25, 2014 (First Block III boat, introducing the Virginia Payload Tubes)
USS John Warner (SSN-785) – August 1, 2015

The Modern Active Fleet Up to Present Day (2016–2026)

The continuous rollout of modernized Virginia-class Block III and Block IV attack submarines into the standard rotation.

USS Illinois (SSN-786) – October 29, 2016
USS Washington (SSN-787) – October 7, 2017
USS Colorado (SSN-788) – March 17, 2018
USS Indiana (SSN-789) – September 29, 2018
USS South Dakota (SSN-790) – February 2, 2019
USS Delaware (SSN-791) – April 4, 2020 (Commissioned dynamically underwater during the COVID-19 pandemic)
USS Vermont (SSN-792) – April 18, 2020 (First of the Block IV upgrades)
USS Oregon (SSN-793) – May 28, 2022
USS Montana (SSN-794) – June 25, 2022
USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795) – October 14, 2023
USS New Jersey (SSN-796) – September 14, 2024 (The first U.S. Navy submarine fully integrated for co-ed crew requirements by design)
USS Iowa (SSN-797) – Late 2024 / Early 2025
USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) – Mid-2025

Looking Ahead

The next hulls in queue to hit the water are the remaining Block IV and massive Block V cruise-missile variations of the Virginia class (such as USS Idaho SSN-799 and USS Arkansas SSN-800), immediately followed by the arrival of the highly anticipated next-generation nuclear deterrent ballistic missile platform—the lead ship of the Columbia Class (USS District of Columbia SSBN-826), currently projecting its first strategic cruise later in the late 2020s.”

“The year with the maximum number of nuclear submarine commissionings is 1964.

During that single year, at the absolute height of the Cold War and the “41 for Freedom” strategic push, the United States Navy commissioned an astonishing 17 nuclear-powered submarines (14 SSBNs and 3 SSNs).

To put that staggering industrial feat into perspective, American shipyards were delivering a brand-new nuclear submarine to the fleet roughly every three weeks.

The Class of 1964 Roster:

USS John Adams (SSBN-620) – January 30, 1964
USS Henry Clay (SSBN-625) – February 20, 1964
USS Dace (SSN-607) – April 4, 1964
USS Daniel Webster (SSBN-626) – April 9, 1964
USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629) – April 23, 1964
USS Pollack (SSN-603) – May 26, 1964
USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628) – May 29, 1964
USS Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631) – July 17, 1964
USS James Madison (SSBN-627) – July 28, 1964
USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633) – August 14, 1964
USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634) – August 26, 1964
USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630) – September 15, 1964
USS Von Steuben (SSBN-632) – September 30, 1964
USS Tinosa (SSN-606) – November 17, 1964
USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) – December 2, 1964
USS Haddo (SSN-604) – December 16, 1964
USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636) – December 19, 1964

Designing, building, and safety-testing that much high-yield nuclear hardware in 12 months using slide rules and paper blueprints remains one of the greatest manufacturing achievements in naval history.”