Editing Los Angeles-class submarine (section)

== Development ==
In the late 1960s, the Soviet Union's advances in submarine technology increasingly threatened the survivability of US Navy (USN) [[carrier battle group]]s. Soviet fast-attack submarines became capable of keeping pace with carrier groups, while their newer [[Cruise-missile submarine|missile submarines]] could potentially overwhelm the group's defenses with salvos of missiles.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Bierly |first1=Paul |last2=Gallagher |first2=Scott |last3=Spender |first3=J.C. |date=January 15, 2014 |title=Innovation decision-making in high-risk organizations: A comparison of the US and Soviet attack submarine programs |journal=Industrial and Corporate Change |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=759–795|doi=10.1093/icc/dtt026 }}</ref> Development of the ''Los Angeles'' class commenced in 1967 as a response. The class originally had essentially the same weapons and sensors as the preceding {{sclass|Sturgeon|submarine|4}}, but was approximately 50% larger with "major improvements" in stealth and speed so that they too could keep up with carrier battle groups.<ref name=":0" />

On 1 December 1976 [[General Dynamics Electric Boat]] (GDEB) submitted a $544&nbsp;million claim related to its contract for 18 ''Los-Angeles''-class submarines; the contractor alleged the USN made an undue amount of design changes while the government argued that Electric Boat mismanaged its operations.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Wasserman Goodman |first=Sherri |date=1988 |title=Legal Dilemmas in the Weapons Acquisition Process: The Procurement of the SSN-688 Attack Submarine |journal=Yale Law & Policy Review |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=393–427 }}</ref> The USN and General Dynamics reached an $843&nbsp;million settlement agreement in June 1978;<ref name=":1" /> the contract price was increased by $125&nbsp;million, GDEB absorbed a $359&nbsp;million loss, and the USN paid an additional $359&nbsp;million under the authority of [[Public Law 85-804]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=General Accounting Office |date=May 18, 1984 |title=The 1978 Navy Shipbuilding Claim Settlement At Electric Boat – Status As Of July 2, 1983 |url=https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-84-83.pdf |website=www.gao.gov}}</ref> The USN and General Dynamics had a further dispute in 1979–1980 when it was discovered that nonconforming steel had been used in the construction of the submarines and thousands of welds were found to be either defective or missing. This led General Dynamics to file a $100&nbsp;million insurance claim to cover the costs of re-inspections of the yard's work, "thus, Electric Boat was asking the Navy to reimburse it for its own mis-management." The parties reached an agreement in 1981 whereby GDEB was awarded a firm contract for an additional 688-class boat and two options; the Navy needed GDEB's shipbuilding capacity to achieve its procurement goals.<ref name=":1" />

''Los Angeles''-class submarines were built in three successive flights:<ref>{{cite web |date=February 14, 2000 |title=SSN-688 Los Angeles-class |url=https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/ssn-688.htm |website=www.fas.org}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Flight
! Pennant numbers
! Ordered dates
! Upgrades (where applicable)
|-
| I
| SSNs 688–718
| 1971–1977
| N/A
|-
| II
| SSNs 719–750
| 1977–1982
|12 vertical launch tubes for Tomahawk cruise missiles and an upgraded reactor core.
|-
| III
| SSNs 751–773
| 1982–1989
| "688i" (for Improved): Quieter, advanced BSY-1 sonar suite, the ability to lay mines and configured for under-ice operations.
|}