History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS McKee |
Namesake | Andrew McKee |
Builder | Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
Laid down | 14 January 1978 |
Launched | 16 February 1980 |
Commissioned | 15 August 1981 |
Decommissioned | 16 July 1999 |
Stricken | 25 April 2006 |
Homeport | Naval Base Point Loma, San Diego, California, U.S. |
Motto | "Plus Ultra Plurimum" (English: The Best of the Best) |
Honors and awards | |
Status | Pending disposal at NISMF, Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Emory S. Land-class submarine tender |
Displacement | 23,000 long tons (23,369 t) full |
Length | 645 ft 8 in (196.80 m) |
Beam | 85 ft (26 m) |
Draft | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Complement | 1,500 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
|
USS McKee (AS-41), named after Andrew McKee, was the third Emory S. Land-class submarine tender built by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington for the United States Navy.
The USS McKee was a mobile support and repair facility with the capability of providing simultaneous repairs to 12 nuclear-powered & diesel, fast-attack submarines. A versatile and complex ship, she provided everything a submarine might need: full medical and dental facilities; cranes, elevators and conveyors to move material on and off the ship as well as between decks; large storage areas for refrigerated and dry food; nuclear system repair and testing; electrical and electronics repair; hull repair; sheet metal and steel work; pipe fabrication; foundry work; woodworking; printing; underwater diving and rescue; hazardous material management; and propulsion and weapons systems repair. [1]
USS McKee was one of the first warships in the U.S. Navy to integrate female sailors.
The ship was commissioned on 16 August 1981. After a series of sea trials, McKee replaced the USS Sperry (AS-12) and joined the USS Dixon (AS-37) at Point Loma (San Diego) to support Pacific Fleet submarines. Upon the commissioning of Submarine Squadron 11 (COMSUBRON11) in July 1986, she became the squadron's Command Ship.
Early in 1984, McKee became the first submarine tender certified to support the new Tomahawk cruise missile system. McKee earned three consecutive Battle Efficiency "E" awards in 1985, 1986 and 1987. In addition to the Battle "E" in 1986, McKee was honored with the Golden Anchor Award for retention excellence and her first Meritorious Unit Commendation.
In 1989, the McKee was the first submarine tender to visit Cold Bay, Alaska since World War II, and conducted the first nuclear submarine upkeep at this remote location. 1988 saw McKee become the first submarine tender certified to handle the Tomahawk Vertical Launch System (VLS).
In February 1989 the McKee performed the first at-sea weapons transfer to a submarine since World War II, to the USS Ohio (SSBN-726).
In March 1990, the McKee continued leading the way for submarine tenders by participating in the first underway fuel replenishment (UNREP) by a Pacific Fleet submarine tender. This fuel was in preparation for deployment to the Persian Gulf in January 1991.
When Operation Desert Storm began, the McKee deployed to the Persian Gulf and spent six months providing support to submarines and surface combatants in Jebel Ali, just outside Dubai, United Arab Emirates. McKee was awarded a second Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Southwest Asia Service Medal. Following Desert Storm, McKee was awarded a fourth Battle Efficiency "E" Award.
In 1995, after the decommissioning of USS Dixon, McKee provided all support to San Diego based submarines. Assistance was also provided to many Allied submarines while they visited Point Loma.
In 1998, McKee earned a third Meritorious Unit Commendation following a six-month deployment to Pearl Harbor. During this deployment, McKee provided services and conducted repairs to both U.S. and Allied submarines and surface combatants. Upon returning to San Diego, the ship took the lead in establishing shore-based services that will support the submarines after McKee's departure.
In November 1998, the weapons department of the USS McKee loaded Tomahawk cruise missiles onto HMS Splendid (S106). These were the first of 67 Tomahawk cruise missiles sold to the Royal Navy and the first British submarine to receive the Tomahawk missiles. They were later used by HMS Splendid in offensive operations against Serbian targets during the Kosovo War.
On 1 October 1999, McKee was decommissioned from service and moved to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), located in Portsmouth, Virginia. She was struck from the Naval Register on 25 April 2006.
USS Virginia (CGN-38) was a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, the lead ship of her class, and the eighth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was commissioned in 1976 and decommissioned in 1994.
USS Providence (SSN-719), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the fifth vessel of the United States Navy to be named for Providence, Rhode Island. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 16 April 1979 and her keel was laid down on 14 October 1982. She was launched on 4 August 1984 sponsored by Mrs. William F. Smith, and commissioned on 27 July 1985.
USS Annapolis (SSN-760), is the tenth "improved" Los Angeles-class submarine. Annapolis is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Annapolis, Maryland, site of the United States Naval Academy.
USS Halibut (SSGN-587), a unique nuclear-powered guided missile submarine-turned-special operations platform, later redesignated as an attack submarine SSN-587, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the halibut.
USS Baton Rouge (SSN-689) was a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine which served with the United States Navy. With her keel laid down on 18 November 1972, Baton Rouge was launched on 26 April 1975. She became the second Los Angeles-class submarine to be commissioned, on 25 June 1977. In 1995, she was the first of her class to be decommissioned, after a collision with a Russian Sierra-class submarine.
USS Louisville (SSN-724), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Louisville, Kentucky. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 11 February 1982 and her keel was laid on 24 September 1984. She was launched on 14 December 1985—sponsored by Mrs. Betty Ann McKee, wife of Admiral Kinnaird McKee, Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion —and commissioned on 8 November 1986 with Captain Charles E. Ellis in command.
USS Fletcher (DD-992), the thirtieth Spruance-class destroyer, was part of the first major class of United States Navy surface ships to be powered by gas turbines. She was commissioned in July 1980 and was deployed mainly in the western and southern Pacific, but also voyaged to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. She was the second ship in the U.S. Navy to bear this name but the first to be named after Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, AndFrank Jack Fletcher. After her decommissioning in 2004, she was sunk in a torpedo test exercise in 2008.
USS Plunger (SSN-595), a Permit-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named "plunger", meaning a diver or a daring gambler.
USS Flasher (SSN-613), a Permit-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the flasher, a member of the fish family Lobotidae, which have an unusual placement of the second dorsal and anal fins, posteriorly located on the body, close to the tail.
USS San Francisco (SSN-711) is a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, the third ship or boat of the United States Navy to be named for San Francisco, California.
The third USS Proteus (AS-19) was a Fulton-class submarine tender in the United States Navy.
USS Simon Lake (AS-33) was the lead ship of her class of submarine tenders in the United States Navy, named for Simon Lake, a pioneering designer of early submarines.
USS Tautog (SSN-639), a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tautog, a wrasse commonly found along the Northern Atlantic coast. The submarine was in service from 17 August 1968 to 31 March 1997.
USS Albuquerque (SSN-706) was a Los Angeles-class attack submarine of the United States Navy. She was the second U.S. warship to be named for Albuquerque, New Mexico. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 31 October 1973 and her keel was laid down on 27 December 1979. She was launched on 13 March 1982, sponsored by Nancy L. Domenici, and commissioned on 21 May 1983.
USS Puffer (SSN-652), a Sturgeon-class nuclear attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the pufferfish, a saltwater fish with toxic spines that can inflate its body with water or air and is one of the most poisonous vertebrates in the world.
USS Sunfish (SSN-649), a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ocean sunfish, a marine species having a deep body truncated behind, and high dorsal and anal fins.
USS Key West (SSN-722), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named after Key West, Florida.
USS Columbus (SSN-762) is a Los Angeles-class nuclear powered fast attack submarine and the second vessel of the United States Navy to be named for Columbus, Ohio. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 21 March 1986 and her keel was laid down on 9 January 1991. She was launched on 1 August 1992 sponsored by Mrs. Margaret DeMars, wife of Admiral Bruce DeMars and commissioned on 24 July 1993.
USS Emory S. Land (AS-39) is a United States Navy submarine tender and the lead ship of her class. She was named for Admiral Emory S. Land.
Submarine Squadron 11 is a squadron of submarines based at Point Loma Submarine Base, San Diego, California, United States. Submarine Squadron 11 was commissioned July 1, 1986, aboard her flagship, McKee, at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, San Diego. Their missions include anti-submarine, anti-surface, strike, special and mine warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The squadron currently consists of four Los Angeles-class submarines for deployments to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf.
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register , which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.The entry can be found here.
This article incorporates public domain material from All Hands Owner's and Operator's Manual 1999. United States Navy.