The U.S. Navy’s Sturgeon-Class Submarines: Built to Fight and Spy on Russia

Key Points: The Sturgeon-class submarines were Cold War heroes for the U.S. Navy, specializing in intelligence gathering, special operations, and anti-submarine warfare. With a fleet of 37 fast-attack boats, these subs supported Carrier Strike Groups and helped safeguard nuclear deterrence missions.

-The USS Sturgeon, the lead sub, served from 1967 to 1994, boasting advanced stealth and weaponry, including Mk 48 torpedoes and Harpoon missiles.

-It earned multiple commendations for its classified operations.

-Though retired, the Sturgeon’s sail is preserved at the Naval Undersea Museum, honoring its pivotal role in Cold War surveillance and SEAL missions that contributed to U.S. strategic dominance.

U.S. Navy Sturgeon-class: Winning the Cold War Was Made Easier

If you have ever wondered which submarines were the hardest workers during the Cold War, look no further than the Sturgeon-class. 

The U.S. Navy’s stalwart fast attack boats made the seas safe for decades. Whether patrolling deep and silent in offensive mode, collecting intelligence, conducting special operations, or defending Carrier Strike Groups from enemy ships and subs, the Sturgeon-class did not disappoint.

Important Role in the Cold War

Before there was the Los Angeles class, the Sturgeon class formed the spearhead of undersea warfare for the Navy. 

The maritime branch depended on the Sturgeon class to seek out and destroy Soviet submarines so the “boomers,” those boats equipped with nuclear missiles, could conduct their missions of deterrence.

Excellent Intelligence-gathering Platform

The Sturgeons were a class of 37 fast attack boats. The Sturgeon-class succeeded the Thresher/Permit-classes. The Sturgeon-class sought to improve the speed, stealth, and electrical systems of those previous boats.

Sturgeon-Class submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

 One mission that the Sturgeon-class specialized in was collecting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data with the ability to sneak close to shore and snoop on the enemy.

Sometimes, even people worked in “three-letter agencies” on board to improve intelligence gathering, especially for collecting signals intelligence.

More About the USS Sturgeon

The USS Sturgeon was the lead sub of the class. It was laid down in 1963, launched in 1966, and commissioned in 1967. The Sturgeon sailed until it was retired in 1994, which was a fantastic run of almost three decades.

Additional Specs Were Impressive

The Sturgeon had a displacement of 4,640 tons when submerged. It was nearly 300 feet in length – about as long as a football field. It had one S5W nuclear reactor, two steam turbines, and one propeller that enabled a speed of 15 knots on the surface and 25 knots submerged. One hundred and eight enlisted sailors and officers served aboard.

The Sturgeon boasted a diverse assortment of weapons, including Mk 48 torpedoes, Harpoon missiles, Mk 57 deep-water mines, and Mk 60 mines.  

The Sneaky Sturgeon Earned Three Commendations

Due to the intelligence operations that the Sturgeon embarked upon, much of its activity was classified. 

However, it earned two Meritorious Unit Citations in 1968 and 1969 and a Navy Unit Commendation in 1970. It makes you wonder if the Sturgeon conducted support missions with aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War or whether it performed ground strike action and intelligence gathering during Operation Desert Storm. Service in both wars was likely for the Sturgeon.

USS Sunfish SSN-649.

Duties That Were Unclassified

The public domain known activity was search and rescue of lost submarines, testing new sonar systems, mine laying, and infiltrating and exfiltrating Navy SEALs. 

The Sturgeon had a record number of SEAL deliveries and was active in evaluating new methods of “lock-ins and lock-outs.”

Cold War Snooping

The primary mission, though, was for surveillance, intelligence gathering, and special operations. 

As the Naval Undersea Museum wrote, “Sturgeon submarines possessed a larger sail to house intelligence-gathering masts essential to their Cold War reconnaissance operations. The last nine Sturgeon-class submarines in the class were lengthened to allow more space for surveillance equipment and to permit the installation of dry deck shelters that deploy special operations forces and their delivery vehicles.”

Only the Sail Survived

What saddened me about the Sturgeon was that it was disassembled in 1994 after decommissioning. Parts were thrown away or recycled. The entire sub should have been saved as a museum piece since it had such a sterling service record. 

However, the good news is that the Navy kept its sail, and that structure was donated to the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington.

The Sturgeon and its class make for a fascinating history during the Cold War. They were workhorses with broad mission sets. The Sturgeon itself could have been the subject of spy novels since it had a significant role in collecting intelligence and inserting and extracting SEALs. 

Perhaps it had a role in the invasion of Grenada in 1983 or other missions against the Soviet Union’s navy. 

Let’s say that winning the Cold War was much easier due to the Sturgeon and its sister submarines.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood 

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.