Class Improvements
Improvements in the James Madison class included the ballistic missile, guidance, fire control, navigation, and launcher systems. The improved missile system introduced was the Polaris A3 missile. The A3 was restricted by size because it had to fit into the existing submarine launch tube. But it was 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) longer, weighed 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) more, and had a range 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km) farther than the A2. Additionally, the number of reentry systems was increased from 1 to 3, making this the first multiple reentry vehicle missile.
The guidance, fire control, and navigation systems were improved to account for the longer range of the A3 missile. The launcher system was improved by replacing the liquid springs on which the launch tube rested with polyurethane foam.
Read more about this topic: James Madison Class Submarine
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