350-028 USS FRANKLIN (SSBN-640)

USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) was an American nuclear-powered submarine carrying ballistic missiles (SSBN). The keel for this unit was laid in 1963, the launch took place in December 1964, and the entry into service with the US Navy took place in October 1965. The ship was 130 meters long, 10 meters wide, and had a displacement of 8,250 tons. The maximum underwater speed is approx. 21-22 knots. The main armament was 16 Polaris ballistic missile launchers, and later Trident, and 4 533 mm torpedo tubes. USS Benjamin Franklin was the leading unit in the class of submarines of the same name. Type B Franklin ships were developed as an evolution of the Madison class ships. They differed from their predecessors mainly by better silencing of the gym and marginally better electronic equipment. Class B Franklin ships were also built after the USS Tresher disaster and provided a higher level of safety for their crew. The class of these ships belonged to the so-called 41 for Freedom. The leading ship of the Franklin class - USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) was constructed at the General Dynamics shipyard in Groton. The unit was initially armed with the Polaris A-3 missiles, but during the service it was rearmed twice: with the Polaris C-3 missiles in the 1970s and - finally - with the Trident I. The unit was finally withdrawn from service in November 1993.