The"41 for Freedom" refers to United States Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile(FBM) submarines, built from 1 November 1958 to 20 March 1965, thatcomprise the following five classes. These five classes ofballistic missile submarines were limited by the 1972 SALT I Treatywhich limited the number of submarine-launched ballistic missiles to656 missiles, thus totaled forty-one subs, hence the nickname "41 forFreedom".
The "41 for Freedom"nuclear-powered submarines were armed with long-range SLBMs to create adeterrent force against the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Unionduring the Cold War.
The United States Navycreated a new hull classification symbol for this type of submarine,the SSBN. The first of the "41 for Freedom" submarines was the USSGeorge Washington (SSBN-598) commissioned on 30 December 1959. The lastsubmarine commissioned for the "41 for Freedom" submarines was the USSWill Rogers (SSBN-659) which was formally decommissioned and strickenfrom the Naval Vessel Register on 12 April 1993, though she was not thelast FBM submarine decommissioned.
In July 1992, USSKamehameha (SSBN-642) was converted to a SEAL special warfare platformand was outfitted with a drydeck shelter/swimmer delivery platform.Kamehameha was decommissioned on 2 April 2002, the last ship of theoriginal "41 for Freedom" and the oldest submarine in the United StatesNavy. Almost 37 years old, she held the record for the longest servicelifetime of any nuclear powered submarine.**converted to carry the Trident C-4 ballistic missile
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