1960, George Washington
In 1960, the US Navy married Nuclear Propulsion and the Ballistic Missile to form the most potent weapons system known to man. The result of this marriage was the George Washington. Here was a submarine that could deliver missiles with great accuracy to anywhere in the world. At the same time the vessel could remain hidden from detection, because the submarine could launch her missiles while submerged. The original Polaris missile carried onboard had a range of 1200 miles, but steady improvements in fuel and rocket technology have led to the advent of the Trident Missile with increased ranges to around 6000 miles, and greater payloads carried.
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The first of these vessels, the
George Washington, was launched in 1959, and the last to be
decommissioned, again the George Washington, was in 1985.
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