USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735)

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USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735)
USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735).jpg
USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735) in November 1995.
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameUSS Pennsylvania
Namesake Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Ordered29 November 1982
Builder General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut
Launched23 April 1988
Commissioned9 September 1989
Homeport Bangor, Washington
IdentificationSSBN-735
MottoVirtue, Independence, Liberty
Honors and
awards		 Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award 2001
Statusin active service
Badge Crest of USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735).png
General characteristics
Class and type Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine
Displacement
  • 16,764 long tons (17,033 t) surfaced [1] [2]
  • 18,750 long tons (19,050 t) submerged [1]
Length560 ft (170 m)
Beam42 ft (13 m) [1]
Draft38 ft (12 m)
Propulsion
SpeedGreater than 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) [5]
Test depthGreater than 800 feet (240 m) [5]
Complement
Armament

USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735) is a nuclear-powered, United States Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine that has been in commission since 1989. She is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Contents

Construction and commissioning

The contract to build Pennsylvania was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 29 November 1982 and her keel was laid down there on 10 January 1984. She was launched on 23 April 1988, sponsored by Mrs. Marilyn Garrett, and commissioned on 9 September 1989.

Service history

On 29 September 1989, Pennsylvania ran aground as she entered the channel during her first visit to Port Canaveral, Florida. Tugboats freed her in about two hours. A US Navy investigation determined that Pennsylvania was properly positioned in the channel, but the channel had been silted by the recent passing of Hurricane Hugo. Pennsylvania had been rerouted to Port Canaveral shortly after another submarine had struck a buoy that had repositioned in the entrance channel of Kings Bay. Still, it was thought that the channel to Port Canaveral had been unaffected. Pennsylvania received no damage. This was a rare occasion of a warship running aground and the commanding officer not being disciplined. Shortly after that, Pennsylvania departed on her first strategic deterrent patrol, which lasted 82 days. [6]

In 2001, Pennsylvania won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the United States Atlantic Fleet.

In 2009, Pennsylvania was featured in an episode of the British television documentary series Big, Bigger, Biggest . [7]

In 2012, Pennsylvania completed a mid-life 2+1⁄2-year Engineered Refueling Overhaul (ERO) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where her reactor was refueled for an estimated 25 more years of service.

On 14 June 2014, Pennsylvania completed a record-setting 140-day strategic deterrent patrol. This is the longest strategic deterrent patrol completed since the beginning of the Poseidon C3 missile program in the 1970s. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ohio</i>-class submarine Class of US nuclear ballistic missile submarines

The Ohio class of nuclear-powered submarines includes the United States Navy's 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and its four cruise missile submarines (SSGNs). Each displacing 18,750 tons submerged, the Ohio-class boats are the largest submarines ever built for the U.S. Navy. They are the world's third-largest submarines, behind the Russian Navy's Soviet-designed 48,000-ton Typhoon class and 24,000-ton Borei class. At 20 Trident II missiles apiece, Ohio-class boats carry just as many missiles, if not more, than either the Borei class or the deactivated Typhoon class (20).

USS <i>Patrick Henry</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599), named after the American Revolutionary War figure and Founding Father Patrick Henry (1736–1799), was a George Washington class nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarine of the United States Navy. She was later converted into an attack submarine and redesignated SSN-599.

USS <i>Ohio</i> (SSGN-726) Submarine of the United States

USS Ohio (SSBN-726/SSGN-726), the lead boat of her class of nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), is the fourth vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. state of Ohio. She was commissioned with the hull designation of SSBN-726, and with her conversion to a guided missile submarine she was re-designated SSGN-726.

<i>George Washington</i>-class submarine United States Navy class of fleet ballistic missile submarines

The George Washington class was a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines deployed by the United States Navy. George Washington, along with the later Ethan Allen, Lafayette, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin classes, comprised the "41 for Freedom" group of submarines that represented the Navy's main contribution to the nuclear deterrent force through the late 1980s.

USS <i>Michigan</i> (SSGN-727) Submarine of the United States

USS Michigan (SSBN-727/SSGN-727) is an Ohio-class nuclear-powered guided missile submarine (SSGN), converted from a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), that is part of the United States Navy. She is the third vessel to bear the name of the U.S. state of Michigan.

USS <i>Theodore Roosevelt</i> (SSBN-600) George Washington-class submarine

USS Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600), a George Washington-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919). Initially unnamed and assigned hull classification symbol SSGN-600 as a guided missile submarine, her keel was laid down on 20 May 1958 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard using components initially assembled for the Skipjack-class submarine nuclear attack submarine USS Scamp (SSN-588). She was named Theodore Roosevelt and redesignated fleet ballistic missile submarine SSBN-600 on 6 November 1958, launched on 3 October 1959, sponsored by Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and widow of Nicholas Longworth III, and commissioned on 13 February 1961 with Commander William E. Sims commanding the Blue Crew and Commander Oliver H. Perry, Jr. commanding the Gold Crew.

USS <i>Abraham Lincoln</i> (SSBN-602) George Washington class fleet ballistic missile submarine

USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602), a George Washington-class fleet ballistic missile submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States (1861–1865), the first being USS President Lincoln.

USS <i>Sam Houston</i> (SSBN-609) Submarine of the United States

USS Sam Houston (SSBN-609/SSN-609), an Ethan Allen-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after Sam Houston (1793–1863), president of the Republic of Texas. Sam Houston was the US Navy's seventh ballistic missile submarine.

USS <i>Thomas A. Edison</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610), an Ethan Allen-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the inventor Thomas Edison (1847–1931).

USS <i>Alexander Hamilton</i> (SSBN-617) Submarine of the United States

USS Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617) was a United States Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine. It was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, the first US Secretary of the Treasury, who was instrumental in the formation of both the United States Coast Guard and the United States Navy.

USS <i>Grayback</i> (SSG-574) Lead ship of US Navy submarine class

USS Grayback (SS/SSG/APSS/LPSS-574), the lead ship of her class of submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the grayback.

USS <i>Nathanael Greene</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636), a James Madison-class fleet ballistic missile submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Major General Nathanael Greene (1746–1786), who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

USS <i>Georgia</i> (SSGN-729) Ohio-class submarine

USS Georgia (SSBN-729/SSGN-729), an Ohio-class submarine, is the second vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. state of Georgia.

USS <i>Alabama</i> (SSBN-731) Ohio-class submarine

USS Alabama (SSBN-731) is the sixth Ohio-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, and the seventh United States vessel to be named for the state of Alabama. The boat's motto duplicates the state's motto, Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere.

USS <i>Nebraska</i> (SSBN-739) Submarine of the United States

USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) is the 14th Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, and the second United States Navy vessel to be named in honor of Nebraska, the 37th state. She carries Trident ballistic missiles.

USS <i>Maryland</i> (SSBN-738) Submarine of the United States

USS Maryland (SSBN-738) is an Ohio-class submarine in the United States Navy. Maryland is the 13th of the 18 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, and has been in active service since 1992. Maryland is the fourth US Navy vessel to be named after the US state of Maryland. Her mission is to provide the United States government with an undetectable and unattackable nuclear launch platform in support of the national strategy of strategic deterrence. The contract for the construction of the Maryland was awarded on 14 March 1986. Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation at Groton, Connecticut, on 22 April 1986.

USS <i>Wyoming</i> (SSBN-742) Submarine of the United States

USS Wyoming (SSBN-742) is a United States Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine which has been in commission since 1996. She is the fourth US Navy ship to be named USS Wyoming, although it was only the third named after the state of Wyoming.

USS <i>Alaska</i> (SSBN-732) Submarine of the United States

USS Alaska (SSBN-732), is a United States Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine which has been in commission since 1986. She is the fourth US Navy ship to be named for the Territory or State of Alaska.

USS <i>Kamehameha</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642) was a Benjamin Franklin-class ballistic missile submarine and the only ship in the United States Navy to be named after Kamehameha I, the first King of Hawaii. She is one of only two United States ships named after a monarch. She was later reclassified as an attack submarine and re-designated SSN-642.

USS <i>Casimir Pulaski</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633), a James Madison-class ballistic missile submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Casimir Pulaski (1745–1779), a Polish general who served in the American Revolutionary War.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "SSBN-726 Ohio-Class FBM Submarines". Federation of American Scientists. 9 February 2000. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Frost, Peter. "Newport News contract awarded". Daily Press . Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "US study of reactor and fuel types to enable naval reactors to shift from HEU fuel". Fissile Materials. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Brendan Patrick Hanlon (July 2015). Validation of the Use of Low Enriched Uranium as a Replacement for Highly Enriched Uranium in US Submarine Reactors (PDF) (Master thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Submarine Frequently Asked Questions". Chief of Naval Operations Submarine Warfare Division. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  6. ↑ "New Trident Sub Runs Aground At Port Canaveral - tribunedigital-orlandosentinel". Archived from the original on 1 November 2015.
  7. ↑ ""Big, Bigger, Biggest" Submarine". imdb.com. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Arendes, Ahron (30 June 2014). "USS Pennsylvania Sets Patrol Record". Military.com .
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