About The Boat
Lost Boats: Honoring those still on patrol...

USS SHARK (SSN 591)

images/slideshows-fleet/slideshow-ssn591/slideshow-ssn-591-05.jpg#joomlaImage://local-images/slideshows-fleet/slideshow-ssn591/slideshow-ssn-591-05.jpg?width=1920&height=1080

 

Specifications:

 

  • USS SHARK (SSN 591) PatchKeel Laid: 24 FEB 1958
  • Launched: 16 MAR 1960
  • In Service: 16 SEP 1960
  • Initial Criticality: 29 SEP 1960
  • Builders Trials: 06 JAN 1961
  • Preliminary Acceptance Trials: 23 JAN 1961
  • Commissioned: 09 FEB 1961
  • Inactivation: 11 OCT 1989
  • Decommissioned: 15 SEP 1990
  • Stricken: 15 SEP 1990
  • Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, VA
  • Propulsion system: one S5W nuclear reactor
  • Screw: one
  • Length: 252 ft (77 meters)
  • Beam: 32 ft (10 meters)
  • Draft: 30 ft (9.1 meters)
  • Displacement, surfaced: approx. 2880 tons
  • Displacement, submerged: approx. 3500 tons 
  • Speed: Surfaced: in excess of 16 knots
  • Speed: Submerged: in excess of 30 knots
  • Armament: six x 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • Crew: 11 Officers, 71 Enlisted

 

Sources: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, www.navysite.de

OPSEC Policy

The Cold War Boats Association prohibits the posting of Classified material on the the coldwarboats.org website.

Any documents, photographs, audio or video recordings, or artifacts that are currently considered Classified are not permitted, and will be removed.

Any information that could compromise the operational security of active duty personnel, commissioned ships, or their missions is not permitted, and will be removed.

Access to personally identifiable information (PII) of active-duty service members or information related to the crews of submarines currently in full or limited commission is restricted to administrators only.

Full details of the Cold War Boats Association's Security Policy can be found at: www.coldwarboats.org/security.

Questions and concerns should be directed to the Security Manager at security@coldwarboats.org.

Copyright Information

 
 
© 2026 Brad Williamson
and/or the
Cold War Boats Association
or respective image owners
 
All Rights Reserved
 
Permission is granted for not-for-profit reproduction
of text and images under the condition that
the coldwarboats.org watermark is retained,
all attribution as to owner and source is included,
and additionally, when republished electronically, a link to is provided.
 
 

Privacy Policy

The Cold War Boats Association is committed to protecting your personally identifiable information (PII). 

This information, your PII,  includes your email, your street address, your phone number(s), your personal records (such as a DD-214) and various other related information.

Your PII will never be shared, given, sold, or rented. It will not be accessible by others, except by administrators or moderators of the www.coldwarboats.org website as necessary in the performance of their duties.

Your use of the www.coldwarboats.org website is your acknowledgement that these limitations are understood.

Full details of the Cold War Boats Association's Privacy Policy can be found at: www.coldwarboats.org/privacy.

Questions and concerns should be directed to the Privacy Manager at privacy@coldwarboats.org.