350-013 AMERICAN NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE SKATE CLASS

Skate is the name of a class of American nuclear fighter submarines (ANNs). Units of this type were built in the years 1957-1959. In total, only four units of this type were built. The Skate-class ship was 81.6 m long, 7.62 m wide, and had a displacement of about 2,900 tons. The maximum underwater speed is approx. 18 knots. The ships of this type had eight 533 mm torpedo tubes - including six bow and two stern. Skate-class ships were developed and put into production as the first mass-produced nuclear-powered hunting submarines in the history of the US Navy. They were largely based on the solutions used in the Tang-class units - with the exception of the propulsion, of course. Interestingly, they did not use the conclusions and opportunities arising from the tests carried out almost simultaneously in chronological order on the USS Albacore and were characterized by considerable conservatism, which can be explained by the conservative attitude of the American admiralty at that time. Undoubtedly, the admiralty also wanted to test various nuclear propulsion solutions and choose the most optimal one. Skate-class ships cannot be called unsuccessful or unsuccessful, but considering their performance, such as underwater speed or submersion depth, they did not outclass potential enemy units by several lengths. Units of this type were withdrawn from service by 1989.