Los Angeles class
Los Angeles class is a nuclear-powered submarine operated by United States Navy, powered by S6G of about 165 MWt. Operating.
The most numerous nuclear submarine class ever built, 62 boats between 1976 and 1996, and still the backbone of the American attack submarine fleet even as Virginia-class boats replace them. About a third have now been retired.
| Reactor | S6G |
|---|---|
| Reactors per vessel | 1 |
| Thermal output | 165MWt |
| Fuel enrichment | ~93% U-235HEU |
| Refuelling | not disclosed |
| Category | submarine |
|---|---|
| Role | SSN |
| Operator | United States Navy |
| Country | United States |
| Vessels in class | 62 |
| In service from | 1976 |
| Status | Operating |
Other submarines
| Class | Enrichment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| AUKUS submarines | HEU | Planned |
| Akula class | - | Operating |
| Alfa class | HEU | Retired |
| Arihant class | HEU | Operating |
| Astute class | HEU | Operating |
| Borei class | HALEU | Operating |
| Columbia class | HEU | Under construction |
| Dreadnought class | HEU | Under construction |
| Han class (Type 091) | - | Operating |
| Le Triomphant class | LEU | Operating |
| Ohio class | HEU | Operating |
| Oscar II class | - | Operating |
| Seawolf class | HEU | Operating |
| Suffren class (Barracuda) | LEU | Operating |
| Type 093 and 094 (Shang and Jin) | LEU | Operating |
| Typhoon class | - | Retired |
| USS Nautilus | HEU | Retired |
| Vanguard class | - | Operating |
| Virginia class | HEU | Operating |
| Xia class (Type 092) | - | Retired |
| Yasen class | HALEU | Operating |
Los Angeles class in context
It is one of 22 submarine programs on record, 15 of them operating and 4 retired, and one of 11 naval reactor programs from the same country.
Each of its reactors is rated about 165 MWt; across the 19 submarine programs with a stated rating the median is 165 MWt, and this one ranks 10th.
Its fuel is recorded as HEU, the same as 10 of the other 15 submarine programs with a stated enrichment class.
It entered service in 1976, 50 years ago; the submarine programs on record entered service between 1955 and 2020, and this one is the 4th earliest of 17.
| Measure | Los Angeles class | Median of submarine programs | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal power per reactor (MWt) | 165 | 165 | 10 of 19 |
| Entered service | 1976 | 1997 | 4 of 17 (earliest first) |
Worked out from the entries on this site only, so a figure compares Los Angeles class with what is recorded here, not with everything that exists. An entry with no value for a measure is left out of that measure's ranking and median.
Sources
- World Nuclear Association, Nuclear-Powered Ships · retrieved 2026-09-07
How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data