USS Cheyenne (SSN-773)

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USS Cheyenne (SSN-773)
USS Cheyenne SSN-773.jpg
USS Cheyenne pulling into port at Hawaii's Pearl Harbor in April 2003.
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameCheyenne
Namesake City of Cheyenne
Awarded28 November 1989
Builder Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Laid down6 July 1992
Launched16 April 1995
Sponsored byMrs. Ann Simpson, wife of Wyoming Senator Alan K. Simpson
Christened1 April 1995
Commissioned13 September 1996
Homeport PNSY
Statusin active service
Badge USS Cheyenne SSN-773 Crest.png
General characteristics
Class & type Los Angeles-class submarine
Displacement
  • 6,000 long tons (6,096 t) light
  • 6,927 long tons (7,038 t) full
  • 927 long tons (942 t) dead
Length110.3 m (361 ft 11 in)
Beam10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draft9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Propulsion
  • 1 × S6G PWR nuclear reactor with D2W core (165 MW), HEU 93.5% [1] [2]
  • 2 × steam turbines (33,500) shp
  • 1 × shaft
  • 1 × secondary propulsion motor 325 hp (242 kW)
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)+
Test depth800 ft (244 m)+
Complement12 officers, 98 men
Armament
  • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 12 × vertical launch Tomahawk missiles

USS Cheyenne (SSN-773), the final Los Angeles-class submarine, is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Cheyenne, Wyoming. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 28 November 1989 and her keel was laid down on 6 July 1992. She was launched on 16 April 1995 sponsored by Mrs. Ann Simpson, wife of Wyoming Senator Alan K. Simpson, and commissioned on 13 September 1996, with Commander Peter H. Ozimik in command. Cheyenne transferred to her homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1998.

Contents

Cheyenne served as a trials platform for flat-screen, interoperative sonar displays based on commercially available equipment.

Cheyenne was the first ship to launch Tomahawk missiles in Operation Iraqi Freedom [3] under the command of CDR Charles Doty. Cheyenne would go on to successfully launch her entire complement of Tomahawks, earning a "clean sweep" for combat actions in the final three months of a nine-month deployment. This dubbed her "First To Strike". Her motto is "Ride the Legend".

USS Cheyenne was the final Los Angeles–class submarine built. Following the construction of USS Cheyenne, Newport News began preparation for construction of the Virginia-class submarine.

History

Between 25 and 27 March 2006, a series of anti-submarine warfare exercises were held in Hawaiian waters that included USS Cheyenne; Carrier Strike Group Nine, the nuclear-powered attack submarines Seawolf, Greeneville, Tucson, and Pasadena, as well as land-based P-3 Orion aircraft from patrol squadrons VP-4, VP-9, and VP-47. [4] [5]

In June 2021, Cheyenne shifted her homeport from Pearl Harbor to Groton, CT, joining Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 12. [6] Cheyenne moved to Naval Submarine Base New London in order to prepare for upcoming refueling and maintenance intended to extend the service life of the submarine by 10 years. [7]

USS Cheyenne enters the new Super Flood Bason for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard's Dry Dock 1 USS Cheyenne enters the new Super Flood Basin for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard's Dry Dock 1.jpg
USS Cheyenne enters the new Super Flood Bason for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s Dry Dock 1

Cheyenne arrived in November 2021 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine to begin a service-life extension program (SLEP) expected to take 30 months and cost $315 million. [8] In December 2021, Submarine Squadron 2 was re-established at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Cheyenne was transferred to this new command. [9] Cheyenne is the first of seven Los Angeles-class subs to undergo this SLEP [10] and was also the first vessel in April 2022 to dock in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard's newly improved Dry Dock 1 using the Super Flood Basin. [11]

On February 10, 2025 Fleet Forces Command announced that Cheyenne had reached a major milestone in her SLEP refit. With her reactor refueling, external hull refitting, major external repairs, structural inspections, and replacements of external mechanical and electrical systems complete, Cheyenne was successfully launched from drydock and put back to sea on February 6. [12] On December 23, 2025 the U.S. Department of War announced that Portsmouth Naval Shipyard had successfully completed the SLEP refueling overhaul for U.S.S. Cheyenne, marking the first submarine to undergo an SLEP overhaul. [13] This overhaul is expected to extend Cheyenne's service life beyond 44 years. The SLEP program has selected an additional five Los-Angeles class boats as strong candidates for SLEP, contingent on budget approval in FY2026, in order to fill the readiness gaps created by construction delays for the Block IV and Block V Virginia-class boats that were slated to replace the last of the Los Angeles-class boats. In addition to the complex and hazardous task of refueling Cheyenne's reactor, the boat also underwent hull preservation, propulsion plant modernization, sonar and combat system upgrades, and habitability improvements. This included integrating the latest AN/BQQ-10 sonar processing systems and AN/BYG-1 combat control suites used on Virginia-class boats with Cheyenne's systems, aligning her sensor and weapons capabilities with the most modern platforms in the fleet. [14]

References

  1. ↑ "International Panel on Fissile Materials". fissilematerials.org. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Validation of the Use of Low Enriched Uranium as a Replacement for Highly Enriched Uranium in US Submarine Reactors" (PDF). dspace.mit.edu. June 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Rush, David (28 April 2003). "One of Navy's First Tomahawk Shooters of Operation Iraqi Freedom Returns to Pearl Harbor". United States Navy. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009.
  4. ↑ Roache, Tim; Cook, Michael (17 March 2006). "Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Conducts Undersea Warfare Training". USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 2 April 2006. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  5. ↑ "Carrier Strike Group 9 Enters 7th Fleet AOR". USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs. 20 March 2006. Archived from the original on 2 April 2006. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  6. ↑ "Cheyenne shifts homeport to Groton" (Press release). DVIDS. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  7. ↑ Katz, Justin (7 November 2018). "Caldwell: Los Angeles-class sub refueling will start with Cheyenne in 2023" (Press release). Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  8. ↑ Lenahan, Ian (23 November 2021). "USS Cheyenne arrives at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for $315 million in work" . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Navy Establishes Submarine Squadron Two at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard" (Press release). 10 December 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  10. ↑ Karny, Matt (23 August 2022). "Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Completes USS Cheyenne Docking After P310 & P1074 Completion" (Press release). Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  11. ↑ "PNS Cuts Ribbon For Super Flood Basin After Historic First Docking" (Press release). 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  12. ↑ Bourque, Branden (10 February 2025). "Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Successfully Undocks USS Cheyenne". U.S. Fleet Forces Command . Portsmouth Naval Shipyard: United States Department of the Navy . Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "Portsmouth Naval Shipyard work extends service of USS Cheyenne". Portsmouth Herald. Local Media Group. Yahoo News. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  14. ↑ Servaes, Alain (26 December 2025). "U.S. Navy completes first Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine refueling overhaul". Army Recognition Group. Global Defense News. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
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