Sturgeon Class Submarine Model

The Sturgeon class was a type of nuclear-powered attack submarine used by the US Navy from the 1960s to the 1990s. These submarines were distinguished by their long hulls, which provided more living and working space than earlier submarine classes. Some units, such as the USS Parche, even received additional hull extensions containing specialized equipment, such as cable tapping tools. The long hull Sturgeon-class SSNs, including the Parche, the L. Mendel Rivers, and the Richard B. Russell, were involved in top-secret reconnaissance missions, including cable tap operations in the Barents and Okhotsk seas. The Parche, in particular, received nine Presidential Unit Citations for successful missions.

A total of seven Sturgeon-class submarines were modified to carry the SEAL Dry Deck Shelter (DDS), a submersible launch hangar with a lockout chamber attached to the ship’s midships weapons shipping hatch. The DDS was used to facilitate the deployment of SEAL Delivery Vehicles and enabled the covert insertion of special forces. The Sturgeon class served the US Navy from the 1960s to the 1990s and played a vital role in various covert operations and missions.