1961 Film, silent, color, 12 minutes. Submarine Training Simulator, US Naval Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine Center, Charleston, South Carolina. This formerly classified film shows digital and analog computer control stations, and navigation drills in a real time training session. This Simulator was specifically built for the Lafayette (SSBN-616) class nuclear submarine by Republic Aviation Corporation Hydrospace Systems Division, under a top secret project for the U.S. Navy during 1960s. Republic Aviation was a major defense contractor with extensive expertise in complex systems integration, electronics, and human-machine interfaces and high-fidelity simulators for highly specialized defense projects. The Lafayette 616 was the lead in its class of nuclear submarines and the largest ballistic submarine in the world, requiring a very high level of skill for stealth maneuvering and strategic positioning of defensive capabilities during the cold war as part of the Polaris missile projects. As seen in the film, the internal controls were a complex collection of electrical, electronic and digital controls requiring sophisticated human monitoring and interaction in potentially long term submersive and strategic activities.
The construction of the USS Lafayette (SSBN-616) was carried out by the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut. Construction began in 1961. The ship was officially launched in 1962 and commissioned in May 1963. The launch event was attended by 3,000 personnel, and included First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy performing the Champaign christening send off. The Lafayette served for three decades, finally being decommissioned in August 1991.
The ship was 425 feet long (nearly 130 meters), and held a compliment of approximately 14 officers and 126 crew, for a total of 140 personnel.
Top submersed speed was originally classified, but was later estimated at 30 knots or about 45 miles per hour. Their primary mission was stealth and long-term submerged endurance. The boat often sacrificed higher speed for quieter operation. Much of the Computer technology on-board was a collection of highly specialized electromechanical and analog systems. Their primary function was to solve complex, real-time calculations necessary to enable the submarine to perform its mission, which was to fire missiles with pinpoint accuracy from a moving, submerged platform. These systems were the technological heart of the vessel, translating the motion of the ship into precise data for missile launch. {Today (2025), the nations with Ballistic Missile submarines are the U.S., Russia, China, UK, France, and India.}
In 1960s, Edwards Hall, Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine Center, Charleston, South Carolina, was the first training center built to train crews of Polaris Missile submarines. The equipment contained inside the building was a duplication of the attack center installed in a Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine (1960s).
Charleston’s role as a major hub for training and logistics was instrumental in making this a reality. The base was one of the two main Atlantic home ports for the Polaris submarines, alongside New London, Connecticut. The training conducted there directly contributed to the operational success of the submarine fleet, which successfully completed hundreds of deterrent patrols.
The training center in Charleston was vital for building the technical expertise and operational proficiency of the crews, ensuring the submarines were ready for their critical mission of maintaining strategic deterrence.
