41 for Freedom

41 for Freedom refers to the US Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines from the, , , , and es. These five classes of ballistic-missile submarines were limited by the 1972 SALT I Treaty which limited the number of American submarine-launched ballistic missiles to 656 missiles, thus totaling forty-one submarines, hence the nickname "41 for Freedom".

Overview
The "41 for Freedom" nuclear-powered submarines were armed with intermediate-range SLBMs (IRBMs) to create a deterrent force against the threat of nuclear war with any foreign power threatening the United States during the Cold War.

The US Navy created a new submarine classification for these boats: SSBN. The first of the "41 for Freedom" submarines to be completed was USS George Washington (SSBN-598), which was commissioned on 30 December 1959. The last of these submarines to be commissioned was USS Will Rogers (SSBN-659) which was commissioned on 1 April 1967. These 41 were superseded by the submarines of the.

USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642) was decommissioned on 2 April 2002, the last boat of the original "41 for Freedom" submarines, and the oldest submarine in the US Navy. Almost 37 years old, she held the record for the longest service lifetime of any nuclear-powered submarine.