HMS Triumph is a Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine of the Royal Navy and was the seventh and final boat of her class. She is the nineteenth nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarine built for the Royal Navy. Triumph is the tenth vessel, and the second submarine to bear the name. The first HMS Triumph was a 68-gun galleon built in 1561.
Triumph was laid down in 1987 by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited. One year previously, a mistake by senior management and changing shipbuilding methods meant that the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness accidentally welded part of the submarine in an upside-down position. This was later corrected, and the ship was launched in February 1991 by Mrs. Ann Hamilton, wife of the then Armed Forces Minister Archie Hamilton. She was commissioned in October that same year.
In 2005, Triumph began a £300 million nuclear refuel and refitting period which also saw the installation of an updated 2076 bow, flank and towed array sonar and a new command and control system. The boat rejoined the fleet in June 2010 and is due to be the last of the Trafalgar-class submarines to be decommissioned. Following the Integrated Review of 2020, her service has been extended by 18 months, now scheduled for the end of 2024.
Triumph is due to move to Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde in 2020.
Triumph sailed to Australia in 1993, travelling 41,000 miles (66,000 km) submerged without support—the longest solo deployment so far by a Royal Navy nuclear submarine. In that same year, author Tom Clancy published a book called Submarine: a Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship which was centred around Triumph and USS Miami.
After the 9/11 attacks in the USA, Triumph, along with her sister-ship Trafalgar, formed part of a task group in 2001 as part of the American-led invasion of Afghanistan, Britain's contribution being known as Operation Veritas.
During Operation Veritas, Triumph launched Tomahawk missiles at targets inside Afghanistan. When Triumph returned home after operations had ended, the boat flew the Jolly Roger, the traditional way of denoting live weapons had been fired.
On 19 November 2000, Triumph ran aground travelling at 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) and at a depth of 200 metres while off the western Scottish coast. The boat surfaced in a safe and controlled fashion. She was under the command of trainee officers and an investigation attributed the grounding to poor navigation. Triumph suffered only superficial damage.
Triumph was also featured in the TV programme "How to Command a Nuclear Submarine" in 2011 in which trainee commanding officers are shown on the Navy's "Perisher Course".
In March 2011, she participated in Operation Ellamy, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles on 19 March 20 March and again on 24 March at Libyan air defence targets. One of these strikes hit a command and control centre in Colonel Gaddafi's presidential compound. Triumph returned to Devonport on 3 April 2011 flying a Jolly Roger adorned with six small tomahawk axes to indicate the missiles fired by the submarine in the operation.
Eleven weeks later on 20 June upon her return to Devonport, in the interim having deployed for a second deployment in the Mediterranean and relieving HMS Turbulent, she once again flew the Jolly Roger adorned with tomahawks, indicating that further cruise missile strikes had taken place in Libya as part of the ongoing operations there. Analysts believe that in total more than 15 cruise missiles were fired by the submarine during the operations.
In November 2011, Triumph sailed from her home port in Devonport for a seven-month deployment that will see her away from the UK until summer 2012. The deployment will see her operate in a wide range of locations including the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
It was reported in May 2013 that her refit was completed and that she has returned to operational duties.
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:Trafalgar-class submarine
Displacement:
Surfaced: 4,500 to 4,800 t (4,700 long tons; 5,300 short tons)[2]
Submerged: 5,200 to 5,300 t (5,200 long tons; 5,800 short tons)[2]
Length:85.4 m (280 ft)[2]
Beam:9.8 m (32 ft)[2]
Draught:9.5 m (31 ft)[2]
Propulsion:
1 × Rolls Royce PWR1 nuclear reactor
2 × GEC steam turbines
2 × WH Allen turbo generators; 3.2 MW
2 × Paxman diesel alternators 2,800 shp (2.1 MW)
1 × pump jet propulsor
1 × motor for emergency drive
1 × auxiliary retractable prop
Speed:Over 30 knots (56 km/h), submerged[2]
Range:Unlimited[2]
Complement:130[2]
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
2 × SSE Mk8 launchers for Type 2066 and Type 2071 torpedo decoys
RESM Racal UAP passive intercept
CESM Outfit CXA
SAWCS decoys carried from 2002
Armament:
5 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes with stowage for up to 30 weapons:
HMS Trenchant is a Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the Royal Navy built by Vickers Shipbuilding, Barrow-in-Furness. Trenchant is in service and is based at HMNB Devonport. She is the third vessel and the second submarine of the Royal Navy to be named for the characteristic of vigour and incisiveness.
The submarine was ordered on 22 March 1983. She was laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding on 28 October 1985, and was launched on 3 November 1986 in the presence of Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Hezlet, who had commanded the World War II T-class submarine Trenchant. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 14 January 1989.
Following the Integrated Review of 2020, Trenchant is now scheduled to decommission by the end of 2021.
On 22 November 1990, the nets of the fishing vessel Antares were snagged by Trenchant in the Bute Sound in Scotland. At the time the submarine was conducting a 'Perisher' Submarine Command Course exercise in company with the frigate HMS Charybdis. Antares was pulled under with the loss of all four members of the crew.
In July 1997, the submarine ran aground off the western coast of Australia.[8] While approaching Fremantle, Western Australia, the submarine remained at a depth of 200 metres (660 ft) and grounded when she made contact with the continental shelf, coming to rest on a sloping patch of seafloor. Trenchant was able to free herself, and an inspection by divers reported no significant damage.
Trenchant tested the non-hull-penetrating optronic mast in 1998. She also trialled a camouflage paint scheme comprising jagged shapes of various colours, including pale blue.
On 21 June 2007, the submarine became the first Royal Navy vessel to fire the new Block IV Tomahawk cruise missile in a live-firing trial in the Gulf of Mexico off the United States coast.
In late 2009, Trenchant entered the Devonport submarine refit complex to undertake a 2-year refit and upgrade programme. Upon completion of the programme, the submarine underwent a rededication service on 6 June 2011 to welcome the boat back to active service.
On 22 May 2013, Trenchant completed the longest patrol ever carried out by a Royal Navy SSN. The patrol lasted 335 days (11 months) during which the submarine sailed 38,800nm. During this time the vessel has visited six different ports: Fujairah, UAE; the British Indian Ocean Territory – Diego Garcia; the Kingdom of Bahrain; Aqaba, Jordan; Souda Bay, Crete; and Gibraltar.
Following a maintenance period involving a weapon and sensors upgrade, Trenchant returned to service in August 2016.
In March 2018, Trenchant, along with American submarines USS Connecticut and USS Hartford, participated in ICEX 2018, surfacing through the Arctic ice. This was the first time a Royal Navy submarine participated in ICEX since 2007.
In April 2020 a Royal Navy investigation was opened into videos of sailors having a party while under lockdown. The submarine had returned to Devonport for repairs and the crew were required to stay on board in isolation while repairs were completed because of COVID-19 restrictions. It was confirmed that some sailors were drinking alcohol and it was reported that the captain had approved the party despite being advised that it might be inappropriate. The captain was sent home and later relieved of his command, and moved to another role within the Navy.
General characteristics
Class and type:Trafalgar-class submarine
Displacement:
Surfaced: 4,500 to 4,800 t (4,700 long tons; 5,300 short tons)[1]
Submerged: 5,200 to 5,300 t (5,200 long tons; 5,800 short tons)[1]
Length:85.4 m (280 ft)[1]
Beam:9.8 m (32 ft)[1]
Draught:9.5 m (31 ft)[1]
Propulsion:
1 × Rolls Royce PWR1 nuclear reactor
2 × GEC steam turbines
2 × WH Allen turbo generators; 3.2 MW
2 × Paxman diesel alternators 2,800 shp (2.1 MW)
1 × pump jet propulsor
1 × motor for emergency drive
1 × auxiliary retractable prop
Speed:Over 30 knots (56 km/h), submerged[1]
Range:Unlimited[1]
Complement:130[1]
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
2 × SSE Mk8 launchers for Type 2066 and Type 2071 torpedo decoys
RESM Racal UAP passive intercept
CESM Outfit CXA
SAWCS decoys carried from 2002
Armament:
5 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes with stowage for up to 30 weapons:
HMS Talent is the sixth of seven Trafalgar-class nuclear submarines of the Royal Navy, and was built at Barrow-in-Furness. Talent was launched by The Princess Royal in April 1988 and commissioned in May 1990. The boat is affiliated with Shrewsbury in Shropshire. Talent is the third submarine of the Royal Navy to bear the name. The first was the World War II Talent, a T-class submarine transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy as RNLMS Zwaardvisch in 1943.
Talent moved her base from Devonport to Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde in July 2019.
Following the Integrated Review of 2020, Talent is scheduled to be decommissioned by the end of 2022 and will be replaced by one of the new Astute-class submarines.
Talent undertook a refit at her base port in HMNB Devonport and in March 2007 rejoined the active fleet, following a £386 million upgrade. She has been given a new reactor core and has been equipped with a new sonar suite, Sonar 2076. Sonar 2076 has the power equivalent to approximately 400 PCs and can precisely track the movement of small objects from hundreds of miles away. The Royal Navy describe Sonar 2076 as the most advanced sonar in service with any navy in the world. She has also been given the ability to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles.
On 6 August 2013, she returned to Plymouth after a 3-month deployment.[4] In October 2013, she conducted an anti-submarine exercise with HMS Dragon (D35), USS Gravely (DDG-107), USS Stout (DDG-55) and USS Barry (DDG-52).
In 2009, she suffered loss of primary and alternative power supplies to her nuclear reactors.
She was reported in April 2015 to have struck ice some time in 2014 while tracking Russian vessels.
Although originally scheduled for decommissioning in 2021, the slow delivery of the Astute-class boats will see Talent retained in service for at least an additional 12 months, with her planned out of service date extended to the end of 2022.
General characteristics
Class and type:Trafalgar-class submarine
Displacement:
Surfaced: 4,500 to 4,800 t (4,700 long tons; 5,300 short tons)[1]
Submerged: 5,200 to 5,300 t (5,200 long tons; 5,800 short tons)[1]
Length:85.4 m (280 ft)[1]
Beam:9.8 m (32 ft)[1]
Draught:9.5 m (31 ft)[1]
Propulsion:
1 × Rolls Royce PWR1 nuclear reactor
2 × GEC steam turbines
2 × WH Allen turbo generators; 3.2 MW
2 × Paxman diesel alternators 2,800 shp (2.1 MW)
1 × pump jet propulsor
1 × motor for emergency drive
1 × auxiliary retractable prop
Speed:Over 30 knots (56 km/h), submerged[1]
Range:Unlimited[1]
Complement:130[1]
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
2 × SSE Mk8 launchers for Type 2066 and Type 2071 torpedo decoys
RESM Racal UAP passive intercept
CESM Outfit CXA
SAWCS decoys carried from 2002
Armament:
5 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes with stowage for up to 30 weapons:
HMS Invincible was the Royal Navy's lead ship of her class of three light aircraft carriers. She was launched on 3 May 1977 as the seventh ship to carry the name. She was originally designated as an anti-submarine warfare carrier, but was used as an aircraft carrier during the Falklands War, when she was deployed with HMS Hermes. She took over as flagship of the British fleet when Hermes was sold to India. Invincible was also deployed in the Yugoslav Wars and the Second Gulf War (Iraq War). In 2005, she was decommissioned, and was eventually sold for scrap in February 2011.
As built, Invincible was 677 feet (206.3 m) long overall and 632 feet (192.6 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 90 feet (27.4 m) at the waterline and 115 feet (35.1 m) at flight deck level, and a draught of 24 feet (7.3 m) at full load. Displacement was 16,000 long tons (16,000 t) standard and 19,500 long tons (19,800 t) full load.[6] The ship was powered by four Rolls-Royce Olympus TBM3 gas turbines, with a maximum total continuous power of 94,000 shaft horsepower (70,000 kW). These drove two propeller shafts via reversible gearboxes, giving a maximum speed of 28 knots (32 mph; 52 km/h). The ship had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (5,800 mi; 9,300 km) at 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h).
Invincible's flight deck was 550 feet (167.6 m) long and 55 feet (17 m) wide. It was connected to the ship's hangar by two lifts, with dimensions of 54 feet 8 inches (16.66 m) × 31 feet 8 inches (9.65 m) and rated to carry aircraft with a weight of 35,000 pounds (15,900 kg). The hangar itself was 500 feet (152.4 m) long, with width varying between 74 and 40 feet (22.6 and 12.2 m) and a height of 20 feet (6.1 m). An upward-curved ski-jump ramp at an angle of 6.5 degrees was fitted at the forward end of the ship's flight deck, this allowed the carrier's Sea Harriers to take off with a higher disposal payload, while shortening the take-off run, leaving more space for helicopter operations. The ship had a design air wing of 10 Westland Sea King anti-submarine helicopters and 8 British Aerospace Sea Harrier STOVL jet fighters.
As built, defensive armament consisted of a twin Sea Dart surface to air missile launcher in the ship's bows. 22 Sea Dart missiles were carried. A Type 1022 long-range air-search radar was mounted above the ship's bridge, with Type 909 fire control directors for the Sea Dart system mounted at the fore and aft end of the ship's superstructure. A Type 992 air-surface search radar was mounted on the ship's mainmast, while a Type 1006 navigation radar was also fitted. Type 184 medium range sonar was also fitted.
In September 1982, after returning from the Falklands War, Invincible had her close-in armament supplemented by two Phalanx CIWS and two Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft autocannons. She underwent a major refit in 1986–1989, with several changes to increase the ship's efficiency in operating aircraft. The angle of the ship's ski-jump was increased to 12 degrees, with her hangar modified to allow more aircraft (nine Sea Harriers and twelve Sea Kings) to be accommodated below. The ship's overall length increased to 685.8 feet (209.0 m). Additional command facilities were fitted and accommodation for another 120 people (aircrew and command staff) was added. The ship's magazines were enlarged, allowing Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles for the carrier's Sea Harriers to be carried, while also increasing the number of torpedoes carried for the ship's helicopters. Three Thales 30 mm Goalkeeper CIWS replaced the Phalanxes. Type 996 air-sea search radar replaced the Type 992 radar, with Type 2016 sonar replaced the Type 184. In 2000, Invincible was subject to further modifications to allow her to operate Harrier GR.7s in the ground-attack role. The Sea Dart launcher was removed, while the ship's flight deck was enlarged.
Invincible was ordered from Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering on 17 April 1973, and was laid down at Vickers' Barrow-in-Furness on 17 April 1973. The ship's construction was delayed by design changes and industrial action, and Invincible was not launched until 3 May 1977. She was accepted into Royal Navy service on 19 March 1980 and after trials, formally commissioned on 11 July 1980. More trials and work-up followed for the ship and her air wing followed before she was declared operational on 19 June 1981, joining the fleet's other carrier Hermes in service.
Invincible's initial air wing consisted of 801 Naval Air Squadron, equipped with five Sea Harriers and 820 Naval Air Squadron, equipped with Sea King anti-submarine helicopters. In August–September 1981, Invicible took part in the NATO naval exercises "Ocean Venture" and "Ocean Safari".
On 25 February 1982, after several months of negotiations, the Australian government announced that it had agreed to buy Invincible for £175 million (285 million A$)[b] as a replacement, under the name HMAS Australia, for the Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Melbourne. Australia planned to make minimal changes to the carrier, adding more fuel and replacing some of the ship's computers. Initially at least, it was planned to operate helicopters only. The sale was confirmed by the Ministry of Defence.
On 2 April 1982, however, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. Three days later, a naval task force headed by Invincible and Hermes left HMNB Portsmouth bound for the South Atlantic. On 20 April, the UK government formally ordered its defence forces to bring the islands back under British control. Along with eight Sea Harriers, Invincible's airgroup included twelve Sea King helicopters that were slightly larger than the ship had originally been designed to accommodate. Small machine guns were added around the flight deck and island for close-in defence.
On 23 April, while en route from Ascension Island to the Falklands, Invincible mistakenly locked her Sea Darts on a VARIG Brazilian Airlines DC-10 rather than on the Argentine Air Force Boeing 707 that had been monitoring the fleet's movements. The previous day, Task Group Commander Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward had sought permission from Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse to shoot down the 707 as he believed its activity indicated a raid would be launched from the Argentine aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo. As the 707 would be no direct threat to the fleet, Woodward ordered Weapons Tight and the continued tracking of the aircraft's course while a Sea Harrier was dispatched to investigate. The Harrier pilot reported that "it was a Brazilian airliner, with all the normal navigation and running lights on."
On 30 May, two Super Étendards, one carrying Argentina's last remaining air-launched Exocet, escorted by four A-4C Skyhawks each with two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs, took off to attack Invincible. Argentine intelligence had sought to determine the position of the carriers from analysis of aircraft flight routes from the task force to the islands. However, the British had a standing order that all aircraft conduct a low level transit when leaving or returning to the carriers to disguise their position. This tactic compromised the Argentine attack, which focused on a group of escorts 40 miles south of the main body of ships. Two of the attacking Skyhawks were shot down by Sea Darts fired by HMS Exeter, with HMS Avenger claiming to have shot down the missile with her 4.5" gun (although this claim is disputed). No damage was caused to any British vessels. During the war Argentina claimed to have damaged the ship and continues to do so to this day, although no evidence of any such damage has been produced or uncovered.
On 1 June, the Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, advised the British government that the sale of Invincible to Australia could be cancelled if desired. In July 1983, a year after the end of the Falklands conflict, the Ministry of Defence announced that it had withdrawn its offer to sell Invincible so it could maintain a three-carrier force.
In December 1983, Invincible was refused the use of dry dock facilities in Sydney when the Royal Navy declined to divulge to the Australian authorities whether or not the ship was carrying nuclear weapons.
Between 1993 and 1995, Invincible was deployed in the Adriatic for Operation "Deny Flight" and then Operation "Deliberate Force" during the Yugoslav Wars. In 1997, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Alan West, Commander UK Task Group, Invincible led a deployment that included 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. During the following two years, Invincible contributed to Operation "Bolton" (part of Operation "Southern Watch") in southern Iraq before she was redeployed to the Balkans to support the NATO action against Yugoslavia over Kosovo. There, while her helicopters aided refugees, her Harriers were involved in military strikes.
In 2003, Invincible featured in a skit of the BBC show Top Gear involving The Stig racing a white Jaguar XJS on the deck in an attempt to reach 100 mph and stop before the end of the runway. The attempt failed, resulting in The Stig and the Jaguar ending up in the sea.
On 6 June 2005, the British Ministry of Defence announced that Invincible would be inactive until 2010 but available for reactivation at eighteen months' notice. She was decommissioned on 3 August 2005, twenty months after an extensive refit that had been intended to give her ten more years of service. Illustrious succeeded her as the service's flagship. The Royal Navy maintained that Invincible could have been deployed had the need arisen and that Navy policy assumed she was still an active aircraft carrier. According to Jane's, however, Invincible had been stripped of some parts for her sister ships, so operational readiness would require not only eighteen months but also the replacement or removal of systems from those other ships.
In March 2010, Invincible was tied up and minimally maintained with other decommissioned ships up-river of HMNB Portsmouth. On 10 September 2010, she was struck off the Naval Reserve List[36] and, in December, offered for sale by the Disposal Services Authority (DSA) with tenders due by 5 January 2011. The DSA tender documents confirmed that the ship's engines had been removed and that its generators and pumps were "generally unserviceable or not working". On 8 January 2011, the British press relayed an earlier report in the South China Morning Post that a £5-million bid had been made for the ship by the UK-based Chinese businessman Lam Kin-bong with plans to moor her at Zhuhai or Liverpool as a floating international school. In light, however, of China's re-arming of the Varyag – bought under a similar pretext – and the EU arms embargo on China, doubts were raised as to whether such a sale would go ahead.
A month later, in February 2011, BBC News reported that the Ministry of Defence had announced the sale of Invincible to Leyal Ship Recycling in Turkey. She was towed out of Portsmouth on 24 March and arrived at Leyal's Aliağa yard on 12 April 2011 for scrapping.
Invincible initially lacked any close-in weapon systems. As one of the lessons from the Falklands War Invincible had two 20 mm Raytheon Phalanx close-in weapon systems fitted but these were later replaced by three Thales 30 mm Goalkeeper CIWS; there are also two Oerlikon 20 mm cannons. Countermeasures were provided by a Thales jamming system and ECM system, Seagnat launchers provide for chaff or flare decoys. Initially the carriers were armed with a Sea Dart missile system, but this was removed to enlarge the flight deck and to allow magazine storage and deck space for Royal Air Force Harrier GR7s.
After the various refits, the carrier's air group grew from the original planned 5 Sea Harriers and 9 Sea Kings to nine Sea Harrier or Harrier GR7/9s and twelve helicopters (usually all Sea Kings, either anti-submarine warfare (ASW) or Airborne Early Warning (AEW) variants). Alternative airgroups were occasionally tested with 16 Harriers and 3 helicopters being embarked. The carrier was equipped with flagship facilities and could provide an operational headquarters for Royal Navy task forces. The runway was 170 metres (560 ft) long and included the ship's characteristic ski jump (initially at an angle of 7°, but later increased to 12°).
General characteristics
Class and type:Invincible-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:
16,000 t (16,000 long tons) (light)[3]
22,000 t (22,000 long tons) fully loaded
Length:689 ft (210 m)
Beam:118.1 ft (36.0 m)
Draught:28.9 ft (8.8 m)
Propulsion:
4 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines providing 97,000 hp (72,000 kW)
USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) was the lead ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates. She was named for Oliver Hazard Perry, an American naval hero who was victorious at the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie. Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) was the first ship and, as of 2019, the only ship of the U.S. Navy to bear the name (although there were five previous US Navy ships named for Oliver Hazard Perry - four named USS Perry and one named USS Commodore Perry). Oliver Hazard Perry was in service from 1977 to 1997 and was scrapped in 2005.
The class was originally intended as austere "low" category guided missile frigates (compared with the high capability Spruance class) for General Purpose and Anti-Air convoy escort. They were built under a cloud of controversy, with their very light gun armament and lack of redundancy and duplicated systems in event of ship being hit. They were regarded by the Reagan administration and Secretary John Lehman as not part of the 500 ship navy plan, but ultimately proved useful as anti-submarine ships if fitted to carry Seahawks and towed arrays and into the 21st Century as low grade patrol ships making up the numbers in a USN desperately short of escorts.
Oliver Hazard Perry was ordered from Bath Iron Works on 30 October 1973 as part of the FY73 program, and was laid down on 12 June 1975, launched on 25 September 1976, and commissioned on 17 December 1977.[1] She was ordered as PFG-109 but was redesignated as FFG-7 in the 1975 fleet designation realignment on 1 June 1975, before she was laid down.
During her launch ceremony on 25 September 1976, the ship found herself briefly stuck on the slip-way. Film star John Wayne appeared from the crowd of watching dignitaries, climbed the launch ceremony platform, and gave the bow of the frigate – which was by this time starting to move slightly – a shove with one hand, and so John Wayne famously appeared to have 'pushed' a US warship down her slip-way.
Oliver Hazard Perry was one of the few lead ships to be subjected to shock trials. These series of trials conducted early in the life of the ship put this steel hull / aluminum superstructure to the test. The proximity of the tests (seen in associated pictures), caused many of the machine mounts and components to become warped or damaged. This damage created alignment problems for the engineering and combat systems teams in the years to come. The ship regularly required waivers on machine performance due to the warping of many mounting brackets. The shock tests also created cracks in the aluminum superstructure that required frequent repairs. However, this did not affect the overall readiness of the ship, nor did it prevent Oliver Hazard Perry from achieving the record for the most-ever hours put on the GE LM2500 Main Propulsion engine.
After 19.2 years of active service, Oliver Hazard Perry was decommissioned on 20 February 1997, in Mayport, FL under the last Commanding Officer, CDR Robert F. Holman, USNR. Though she was stricken on 3 May 1999, Oliver Hazard Perry was held in the museum donation category at the former Navy shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A group had hoped to bring her to Toledo, Ohio as a museum ship and a memorial for the Battle of Lake Erie. The group was unable submit a viable financial plan together in time so the Perry was sold for scrap in December 2005.
General characteristics
Class and type:Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate
Displacement:4,100 long tons (4,200 t), full load
Length:445 feet (136 m), overall
Beam:45 feet (14 m)
Draught:22 feet (6.7 m)
Propulsion:
2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 41,000 shp (31 MW) through a single shaft and variable pitch propeller
2 × Auxiliary Propulsion Units, 350 hp (260 kW) retractable electric azimuth thrusters for maneuvering and docking.
Speed:over 29 knots (54 km/h)
Range:5,000 nautical miles at 18 knots (9,300 km at 33 km/h)
Complement:15 officers and 190 enlisted, plus SH-2 detachment of roughly six officer pilots and 15 enlisted maintainers
Sensors and
processing systems:
AN/SPS-49 air-search radar
AN/SPS-55 surface-search radar
CAS and STIR fire-control radar
AN/SQS-56 sonar.
Electronic warfare
& decoys:AN/SLQ-32
Armament:
As built:
1 × OTO Melara Mk 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun
2 × Mk 32 triple-tube (324 mm) launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes
1 × Vulcan Phalanx CIWS
4 × .50-cal (12.7 mm) machine guns.
1 × Mk 13 Mod 4 single-arm launcher for Harpoon anti-ship missiles and SM-1MR Standard anti-ship/air missiles (40 round magazine)
Note: As of 2004, Mk 13 systems removed from all active US vessels of this class. Note: Unlike other Perry-class frigates, USS Oliver Hazard Perry was not equipped with a Vulcan Phalanx CIWS when built.
Aircraft carried:1; SH-2 Seasprite helicopter (ship was to have capability for two helicopters, but never carried more than one due to flight deck and hangar size limitations)
USS Kinkaid (DD-965), named for Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid USN (1888–1972), was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. Launched in 1974, she was decommissioned in 2003 and sunk in 2004. She was the third "Spru-can" to be built.
Between the late evening of 22 February and the early morning of 23 February 1979, 25 construction workers from Texas, constructing a naval base in the port of Char Bahar, were evacuated in the early morning hours by Kinkaid, and they were brought to the small island of Bahrain. This became known as the "Gulf of Aden/Yemen Indian Ocean Contingency Operation of 12/8/78 - 6/6/79". The crew of Kinkaid were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal and the Armed Forces Humanitarian Service Medal.
In November 1989, Kinkaid and the Panamanian-registered freighter M/V Kota Petani were involved in a collision in the Strait of Malacca. The collision caused one death and 15 other casualties to the Kinkaid's crew, and US$15 million in damages to Kinkaid. She made Singapore under her own power for temporary repairs, then Subic Bay, Philippines, then San Diego for permanent repairs.
On 4 July 1993, Kinkaid paid a three-day port visit to Acajutla, marking the first visit by a United States warship to El Salvador in more than a dozen years. Kinkaid was then assigned to Destroyer Squadron 13 in San Diego and was, at the time, conducting two months of routine operations under the operational command of Joint Task Force Four, located in Key West, Florida. Kinkaid returned to San Diego in mid-August 1993.
Kinkaid deployed on 10 November 1994, as part of the Constellation carrier battle group for a six-month deployment to the western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. She spent most of December in the Western Pacific. With the Constellation carrier battle group, she entered the Persian Gulf, on 11 January 1995, and departed it on 23 March. The Constellation carrier battle group conducted several exercises during the deployment, including Beachcrest 95, a routine annual exercise that included air combat, air control and air-to-ground combat support training in designated areas on Okinawa and Ie Shima; Nautical Swimmer 95-2 and Nautical Artist 95-2, naval air and surface exercises intended to improve interoperability between forces of the United States and friendly Persian Gulf nations; Beacon Flash 95-1, a combined naval tactical air exercise to improve readiness with friendly Persian Gulf nations; Eager Archer 95-1, an air training exercise between units of CVW 2 and Kuwait that provided dissimilar air combat training, formal joint strike training and in-flight refueling training for the Kuwaiti air force; and Sharem 110, a United States anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training exercise in the Gulf of Oman involving several battle group units. The battle group also conducted exercises with units of the Royal Australian Navy off the coast of western Australia. Kinkaid made its seventh deployment and supported the battle group by performing the anti-submarine warfare mission.
Kinkaid underwent a period of overhaul in June 1995. As a result of a reorganization of the Pacific Fleet's surface ships into six core battle groups and eight destroyer squadrons, Kinkaid was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 21. The reorganization was scheduled to have been completed by 1 October 1995, with homeport changes to be completed within the next year.
In mid-1997, as part of the Nimitz carrier battle group, Kinkaid took part in Pacific Joint Task Force Exercise 97-2 (JTFEX 97-2). The exercise was conducted off the coast of southern California and also included units from the Air Force, Army and Japan. Nimitz, from 20 July through 24 July, then conducted a warfighting demonstration called Surge Exercise (SURGEX), during which it demonstrated the firepower of the carrier/airwing team and its ability to sustain continuous operations in support of forces ashore in the initial four days of a conflict when a deployed carrier might be the only asset available to provide such support. During the exercise, Comstock, Kinkaid and Ford practiced maritime interception operations. Kinkaid also escorted the civilian merchant ship Viking Serenade through the simulated "war zone".
Kinkaid then deployed as part of the Nimitz carrier battle group. After Western Pacific visits in Yokosuka, Japan, and Hong Kong, a planned visit to Singapore was canceled when Iraq violated a United Nations imposed "no fly" zone. With Nimitz directed to proceed to the region immediately to reinforce Operation Southern Watch operations, Kinkaid arrived in the Persian Gulf on 12 October after transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
During Nimitz's deployment in the Persian Gulf, Kinkaid was accused by Iran of spying on its military exercises. Kinkaid was, however, in port in Bahrain at the purported time Iran claimed the spying was taking place.
Kinkaid returned on 28 February 1998, from a six-month Persian Gulf deployment. During the deployment Kinkaid served as Tomahawk ready strike platform, helped enforce the no-fly zone in Southern Iraq and conducted maritime interception operations.
Kinkaid was part of the Constellation carrier battle group, as Constellation officially relieved Theodore Roosevelt in the Persian Gulf in September 1999. The Constellation carrier battle group then spent the next 10 weeks in the Persian Gulf and conducted maritime interception operation boardings as well as flew combat air patrols over the Iraqi no-fly zones in support of Operation Southern Watch. During the period, Kinkaid rescued the merchant vessel Sima Star, a container ship, from sinking 70 miles (110 km) off the coast of Bahrain after taking on over 40 tons of water. Kinkaid sailors dewatered the fully loaded container ship, which was listing 15 degrees to the port side. After seven hours of battling poor ventilation and flooding below decks, Kinkaid's rescue and assistance team was able to return the Sima Star to a five-degree list, allowing its crew to sail into Bahrain the following Monday morning for repairs. Kinkaid returned home on 17 December 1999, after a six-months deployment. During its 10-week patrol in the Persian Gulf region, the Constellation carrier battle group flew more than 5,000 casualty-free sorties, including nearly 1,300 in support of Operation Southern Watch. These flights included nine separate combat strikes and more than 43 tons of ordnance expended on various Iraqi air defense sites in response to Iraqi aggression against coalition aircraft.
Kinkaid began, on 15 March 2001, a scheduled six-month 2001 Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment while attached to the Constellation carrier battle group (CVBG) and Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). The entire battle group had trained the previous six months in preparation for this deployment through a series of increasingly challenging exercises and operations. These pre-deployment exercises culminated in February 2001 with the successful completion of Joint Task Force Exercise 01-1. Over the following six months, battle group ships conducted multi-national and joint operations with the navies of various allied countries and visit ports in Western Pacific and Persian Gulf nations. The ships and squadrons were scheduled to return home in September.
The United States Navy Surface Force was scheduled to begin, in the summer of 2002, an initiative to test the effectiveness of deploying a single ship for 18-months while swapping out crews at six-month intervals. Called Sea Swap, this initial two-phased initiative would involve three Spruance-class destroyers (DDs)—Fletcher, Kinkaid and Oldendorf, and three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (DDGs)—Higgins, John Paul Jones, and Benfold. For the DD phase, Fletcher and her crew would deploy with their battle group this summer, but after six months, only the crew would return. The ship would remain deployed and be manned by the crew from Kinkaid. After completing their training cycle and decommissioning Kinkaid, these sailors would fly to a port in either Australia or Singapore to assume ownership of Fletcher and steam her back on-station. After six months, they would be replaced by the crew from Oldendorf who would have completed the same training and decommissioning schedule with their ship before flying out to relieve the Kinkaid crew. After four more months on station, the Oldendorf crew would then bring Fletcher back to the United States where it too would be decommissioned. Additionally, by executing this plan, the Navy would be able to eliminate the deployment of Paul F. Foster because the additional on-station time generated by swapping out the crews meant a ship would already be in theater meeting that requirement.
Kinkaid was decommissioned 7 January 2003 and placed at Pearl Harbor NISMF. Kinkaid was stricken 6 April 2004 and sunk during RIMPAC 2004 exercise as a target 14 July 2004 in the Pacific Ocean at 22°55′13.5″N 159°59′40.5″W in 2,548 fathoms (15,288 feet; 4,660 meters) of water.
General characteristics
Class and type:Spruance-class destroyer
Displacement:8,040 (long) tons full load
Length:529 ft (161 m) waterline; 563 ft (172 m) overall
Beam:55 ft (16.8 m)
Draft:29 ft (8.8 m)
Propulsion:4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW)
Speed:32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range:
6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement:19 officers, 315 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems:
AN/SPS-40 air search radar
AN/SPG-60 fire control radar
AN/SPS-55 surface search radar
AN/SPQ-9 gun fire control radar
Mk 23 TAS automatic detection and tracking radar
AN/SPS-65 Missile fire control radar
AN/SQS-53 bow mounted Active sonar
AN/SQR-19 TACTAS towed array Passive sonar
Naval Tactical Data System
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System
AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures
Mark 36 SRBOC Decoy Launching System
AN/SLQ-49 Inflatable Decoys
Armament:
2 x 5 in (127 mm) 54 calibre Mark 45 dual purpose guns
2 x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS Mark 15 guns
1 x 8 cell ASROC launcher (removed)
1 x 8 cell NATO Sea Sparrow Mark 29 missile launcher
2 x quadruple Harpoon missile canisters
2 x Mark 32 triple 12.75 in (324 mm) torpedo tubes (Mk 46 torpedoes)
1 x 61 cell Mk 41 VLS launcher for Tomahawk missiles
Aircraft carried:2 x Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters.
USS Hewitt (DD-966), named for Admiral H. Kent Hewitt USN (1887–1972), was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi and launched on 14 September 1974 by Mrs. Leroy Hewitt Taylor and Mrs. Gerald Hewitt Norton, daughters of Admiral Hewitt.
Hewitt was the fourth of the Spruance-class destroyers. Known as the "Greyhounds of the fleet" for their speed, versatility and reliability, they were the largest general purpose destroyers ever to fly the flag of the United States.
Hewitt was commissioned on 25 September 1976. After an intensive period of initial training, Hewitt deployed to the Western Pacific in September 1978 and was assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet. In addition to serving as a front line unit, Hewitt also acted as a good will ambassador with port visits to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Hong Kong. Hewitt returned to San Diego in April 1979. In preparation for her next deployment, Hewitt participated in a multinational Rim-of-the-Pacific (RIMPAC) battle group exercise in February and March 1980.
She departed on her second overseas deployment on 15 May 1980. During that deployment, Hewitt and other members of Battle Group Charlie operated in the Indian Ocean to show U.S. resolve to protect free world access to Middle East petroleum resources, and to help obtain the release of 52 Americans held hostage in Iran. Hewitt earned the Navy Expeditionary Medal for her contributions. During the latter part of the deployment, Hewitt also earned the Humanitarian Service Medal for rescuing a group of Vietnamese boat refugees adrift in the South China Sea. For her superior performance, Hewitt was awarded the Battle "E" as the most outstanding ship in Destroyer Squadron 21 (DesRon 21) from 1979 to 1980.
Hewitt entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 19 May 1981 for its first regular overhaul. Extensive modifications were performed to improve survivability, and new combat systems capabilities were added to improve quick reaction to missile attacks. After a rigorous re-qualification and retraining period, Hewitt departed on 21 March 1983 for its third deployment. Highlights included a three aircraft carrier fleet exercise with Midway, Coral Sea and Carl Vinson, and independent operations in the South China Sea.
Hewitt departed on her fourth deployment on 18 October 1984. Once again a member of Battle Group Charlie, she spent seven highly successful months in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. In January 1985, Hewitt set a record at the Tabones Firing Range in the Philippines by earning the highest score ever recorded at the range for Naval Gunfire Support (NGFS) exercise. From February to April 1985, Hewitt operated in the North Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. For its achievements during the deployment, Hewitt received the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Hewitt returned home to San Diego on 24 May 1985.
On 1 September 1985, Hewitt and other members of Destroyer Squadron 31 became the first Pacific Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron. The squadron's basic mission was to locate and track submarines in the Eastern Pacific, to develop USW tactics and training, and to serve as a ready response force under Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet. From September 1985 to April 1987, Hewitt and the other ships in DesRon 31 set new standards of excellence in USW.
During Hewitt's second overhaul (May 1987 to November 1988) at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company Shipyard in San Diego, California, she underwent a modernization which included installation of the Vertical Launch System, the Tomahawk Missile System, the Close-In Weapons System (CIWS), LAMPS MK III, and the SQQ-89 Sonar System. After a brief but extensive training and inspection cycle, Hewitt joined DesRon 21 and once again deployed to the Persian Gulf on 18 September 1989. Hewitt's fifth Western Pacific deployment ended on 16 March 1990. Five months later, Hewitt was underway to her new homeport at Yokosuka, Japan.
Hewitt joined Destroyer Squadron 15 on 25 August 1990. In Yokosuka, she operated with numerous multi-national forces, including the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the South Korean, Bruneian, Greek, French, Spanish, Australian, Saudi Arabian, Russian, British, and Singaporean navies. Hewitt participated as flagship for Maritime Interception Force (MIF) Commander Red Sea for Boarding Operations in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 as part of United Nations sanctions against Iraq. Hewitt concluded an intensive six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf in April 1993. Her seventh deployment was highlighted by a Tomahawk strike against Iraq and combined operations with numerous navies, the Russian destroyer Admiral Tributs. Hewitt also served as Maritime Action Group (MAG) Commander in October 1993, helping to develop the new MAG warfare concept. Hewitt was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for the 1992–1993 Persian Gulf deployment and the U.S. 7th Fleet's USW Excellence Award for 1993.
Following a brief maintenance availability in early 1994. Hewitt participated in RIMPAC '94. Directly following the exercise, Hewitt conducted live missile firings near Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii which included a successful NATO Sea Sparrow engagement and the first fleet firing of the Penguin anti-ship missile with HSL 51 Detachment 6 on 25 June 1994. Hewitt again deployed to the Persian Gulf on 5 September 1994 as a primary component of the multinational Middle East peacekeeping unit, enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq. Hewitt returned to Yokosuka, Japan 10 January 1995 and received U.S. 7th Fleet's Surface Warfare Award for 1994.
On 17 March 1995, Hewitt entered the yards for an extended availability period which ended 5 September 1995. Afterwards, Hewitt participated in several multinational USW exercises and was awarded the Battle "E" for her performance in 1995. On 3 June 1996, Hewitt deployed to the Persian Gulf for Middle East Force deployment (MEF) 96-2. While supporting U.S. 5th Fleet operations, Hewitt participated in Operation Desert Strike and launched two Tomahawk missiles on 4 September 1996 against Iraq. Hewitt received a Meritorious Unit Commendation for her actions during the deployment and returned home to Yokosuka, Japan on 30 October 1996.
In March 1997, Hewitt conducted battle group exercises with Independence and in April Destroyer Squadron 15 for the Sharem 120B exercise in the Yellow Sea conducted with the Republic of Korea Navy. In May Hewitt entered an availability and received the women at-sea modification to berth the first females permanently assigned to the ship. The first female Sailors reported on board in July. On 24 August 1997, Hewitt departed Yokosuka, Japan for a homeport change to NS San Diego, California. Hewitt joined Destroyer Squadron 23 on 29 August 1997 during her transit to San Diego.
On 27 January 1999, Hewitt deployed to the Persian Gulf for Middle East Force Deployment (MEF) 99-1. In support of U.N. Sanctions against Iraq. Hewitt conducted visit, board, search and seizure of merchants in the area. Hewitt returned to San Diego on 26 July 1999 followed by a two-month Selected Restricted Availability which ended 7 November 1999.
Hewitt was decommissioned 19 July 2001; she was sold for scrap to International Shipbreaking, Incorporated, of Brownsville, Texas on 9 August 2001. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 5 June 2002.
General characteristics
Class and type:Spruance-class destroyer
Displacement:8,040 (long) tons full load
Length:529 ft (161 m) waterline; 563 ft (172 m) overall
Beam:55 ft (16.8 m)
Draft:29 ft (8.8 m)
Propulsion:4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW)
Speed:32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range:
6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement:19 officers, 315 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems:
AN/SPS-40 air search radar
AN/SPG-60 fire control radar
AN/SPS-55 surface search radar
AN/SPQ-9 gun fire control radar
Mk 23 TAS automatic detection and tracking radar
AN/SPS-65 Missile fire control radar
AN/SQS-53 bow mounted Active sonar
AN/SQR-19 TACTAS towed array Passive sonar
Naval Tactical Data System
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System
AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures
Mark 36 SRBOC Decoy Launching System
AN/SLQ-49 Inflatable Decoys
Armament:
2 x 5 in (127 mm) 54 calibre Mark 45 dual purpose guns
2 x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS Mark 15 guns
1 x 8 cell ASROC launcher (removed)
1 x 8 cell NATO Sea Sparrow Mark 29 missile launcher
2 x quadruple Harpoon missile canisters
2 x Mark 32 triple 12.75 in (324 mm) torpedo tubes (Mk 46 torpedoes)
1 x 61 cell Mk 41 VLS launcher for Tomahawk missiles
Aircraft carried:2 x Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters.
USS Taurus (PHM-3) was the third ship of her class of hydrofoils operated by the United States Navy. Pegasus class vessels were designed for high speed and mobility, and carried a powerful (for their size) armament. The ship was named for the constellation Taurus.
In November 1972, The United States, Germany and Italy signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share the cost of the development of a Patrol Missile Hydrofoil. This brought about the building of the Pegasus class . The Taurus was the first production model
USS Whale (SSN-638) was a Sturgeon-class submarine nuclear-powered attack submarine of the United States Navy. She was the second ship of that name, after the whale family of aquatic mammals.
Whale's keel was laid down on 27 May 1964 at the General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 14 October 1966, sponsored by Mrs. Russell B. Long, the wife of United States Senator Russell B. Long (1918–2003) of Louisiana, and commissioned on 12 October 1968, with Commander William M. Wolff, Jr. in command
Whale arrived in her first home port, Charleston, South Carolina, on 2 November 1968 and, after a week in port, put to sea on 9 November 1968 for shakedown training, which she completed in November and December 1968 along with a series of post-commissioning tests, trials, and qualifications. In January 1969, she began normal operations out of Charleston with attack submarine training along the southeastern coast of the United States.
On 18 March 1969, Whale stood out of Charleston on her way north to operations above the Arctic Circle. She reached the North Pole on 6 April 1969 and surfaced there in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary's 1909 arrival there. Following that event, she completed her mission under the polar ice cap and then headed south. After a visit to Faslane, Scotland, she voyaged home to Charleston, where she arrived on 9 May 1969.
Following two months of local operations out of Charleston, Whale sailed for Groton, Connecticut, and her post-shakedown repair period. After three months in the shipyard of the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation at Groton, she started back to Charleston on 16 October 1969. She arrived at Charleston on 20 October and conducted local operations for the remainder of 1969.
During the first half of 1970, Whale continued operations out of Charleston. In late January, she participated in tests with a Navy Underwater Demolition Team and, in February and March, took part in three major fleet exercises. In April, she headed north for a brief tour of duty as training ship for the Prospective Commanding Officers' School at New London, Connecticut. She returned to Charleston at the end of the first week in May and spent the remainder of the month conducting acoustic trials.
Whale departed Charleston on 27 July 1970 for an overseas deployment which she concluded in mid-September with visits to Faslane and Holy Loch in Scotland. While Whale visited Scotland, the Jordanian crisis —precipitated by civil war between the government of Jordan and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and aggravated by an incursion into northern Jordan by Syrian tanks – resulted a show of American strength in the eastern Mediterranean. Thus, Whale received orders to join the United States Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean and did so near the end of September 1970. She remained in the Mediterranean Sea through October and into November 1970. When the crisis abated, she headed for Charleston, arriving home on 18 November 1970 and remaining there for the remainder of the year.
Three fleet exercises and local operations out of Charleston occupied Whale during the first half of 1971. Late in July, she deployed once more for special operations in the Atlantic Ocean, concluding that cruise late in September 1971 at Bremerhaven, West Germany. She returned to Charleston on 12 October 1971 and resumed local operations upon arrival. That routine continued until 20 March 1972, when she departed once again for another special operations cruise in the Atlantic. At the end of that voyage, she made a brief call at Holy Loch before returning to Charleston on 9 June 1972.
Almost two months after her return to the United States, Whale left Charleston and headed north to Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut, her new home port. She entered the shipyard at the Electric Boat Division in Groton on 7 August 1972 for a 46-week overhaul and remained there undergoing repairs until 27 October 1973.
Whale completed post-overhaul shakedown and refresher training in November and December 1973 and began preparations for another deployment to the Mediterranean in response to the Middle Eastern crisis brought about by the Arab-Israeli War in October 1973. Late in January 1974, however, she received notification that her deployment had been delayed until May 1974. During the interim, she conducted normal operations out of Groton, including submarine anti-submarine warfare exercises, attack submarine training, and a major fleet exercise, Operation Safe Passage. On 3 May 1974, she departed Groton en route the Mediterranean Sea. On 12 May 1974, she changed operational control from the United States Second Fleet to the Sixth Fleet.
While in the Mediterranean, Whale participated in two North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises, "International Week" and "Dale Falcon", with units of the Greek and Italian navies as well as several antisubmarine warfare exercises with other units of the Sixth Fleet. She passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and changed operational control back to the Commander, Submarines, United States Atlantic Fleet, on 18 October 1974. During the voyage back to Groton, Whale participated in a fleet antisubmarine warfare exercise which she completed on 28 October 1974. On 30 October 1974, she arrived at Groton.
Whale spent the next 11 months engaged in operations out of Groton. Various tests and evaluations occupied January and the first half of February 1975. Between then and June 1975, she provided training services for various units of the Atlantic Fleet and for prospective commanding officers. Whale also served as a training platform for midshipmen during indoctrination cruises held late in the summer. On 29 September 1975, she stood out of Groton for another deployment with the Sixth Fleet. During that cruise, she took part in a major Second Fleet exercise, "Ocean Safari", and, after joining the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, took part in a succession of unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral exercises with units of the navies of Greece, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. She completed her tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet during the second week in March 1976 and arrived at Groton on 25 March 1976.
Whale resumed normal United States East Coast operations until 9 September 1976 when she entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Kittery, Maine, for a refueling overhaul. That overhaul concluded on 7 July 1978. Whale then spent the remainder of 1978 in refresher training for the purpose of obtaining certification throughout the full range of her weapons system.
In the spring of 1979 Whale departed Groton for the Mediterranean,. She made stops in Sousse, Tunisia; La Spezia, LaMaddellena and Naples, Italy and Tangier, Morocco. While in the Mediterranean Whale participated in fleet exercises. 1979-Fall, 1980: The Whale was in an extended period of refit/repair (Selected Restricted Availability), in the floating drydock USS ARDM-4 in Groton, Connecticut. After refloating, workups, and training, she proceeded south for torpedo proficiency exercises, stopping for liberty at Port Everglades, FL. Go Go dancers from Butch Cassidy's greeted the Whale and her crew on arrival, and were heartily welcomed aboard. The Whale spent the remainder of 1980 and early 1981 on short training and test deployments, one of which concluded with the Thunderbuoy and Whitefish exercises. With a fresh coat of paint, and a new skipper, CDR E.D. Morrow, the Whale proceeded to the Mediterranean in June 1981, stopping on her way at Cartagena, Spain, which proved to be her only liberty port on this deployment. Whale spent the next six months in the Mediterranean Sea, taking part in the US Navy's defiance of Libyan president Mohammar Khadaffi's "Line of Death" in the Gulf of Sidra. Whale made periodic up-keeps at the submarine tender Orion, in La Maddelena, Sardinia. Early 1982 found the Whale back home in Groton, making frequent short training workup runs, honing the crew's proficiency to a fine tune. In May 1982 Whale proceeded on an Atlantic deployment, (pollywogs among the crew becoming "Bluenoses" on the way), and later a stop in Faslane, Scotland. Whale earned the Battle "E" for efficiency after this deployment. Early 1983 the Whale had a new skipper, Captain James E. Welsch. Mid 1983 Whale was suddenly given a double barrel patrol – a North Atlantic deployment immediately followed by an abbreviated Mediterranean patrol. This was due to the USS Tullibee being unable to handle her commitments. This deployment, dubbed the "Nor-Med Run", was quite active, with port visits in Holy Loch Scotland, Toulon France, La Spezia, and La Maddalena, Italy. USS Whale left La Maddalena on Christmas Day 1983 and returned to Groton in January 1984. 1984 was spent doing up keep, refit, drilling, and short training deployments, most notably spending a week in St Croix, Virgin Islands. In January 1985, USS Whale again went on patrol to the Mediterranean, with stops in Holy Loch Scotland, Brest France, La Maddalena Italy, as well as Rotterdam Netherlands, prior to Whale's being temporarily reassigned to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington for an overhaul period starting in November 1985. While undergoing overhaul in 1986, USS Whale crew members formed a unit softball team, which competed in and won the Northwestern Pacific Softball Championship. For a crew of roughly 120 to compete against much larger ships and commands, this was quite an accomplishment
January 1988 found Whale in Bremerton completing its overhaul. She went through sea trials and left Washington sometime around June 1988 for her to return to her home port at Groton under the command of Commander J. W. Francis. Whale crossed the equator on 17 June 1988 and transited the Panama Canal on 19 June 1988.
Whale's next major deployment was to the Mediterranean from February through July 1989, during which she made stops in Scotland, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. In 1990 Whale was sent on a North Atlantic deployment under the command of Commander Ronald Deering. Whale was awarded the last Battle Efficiency Award (Battle "E") from Submarine Squadron 10. She then was assigned to Submarine Squadron 2 and conducted a second "Northern Run" (i.e., North Atlantic deployment) in 1991.
In 1992, Whale participated in UNITAS XXXIII, an expedition around South America while under the command of Commander Andrew V. Harris, Jr., During UNITAS XXXIII she made port calls in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, and Colombia. The port visit in Panama was a somber one due to the sudden loss of the ship's chief yeoman due to a heart attack. During UNITAS Whale again crossed the Equator and transited the Panama Canal (South to North).
In 1993 Whale visited Bermuda while transiting from the Autec Torpedo Firing Range, and Florida ports of call. Following the final Change of Command in Jan 1994 Whale conducted a scientific exercise under the ice cap at the North Pole and in the North Atlantic.
Following a circumnavigation of the world, the Whale was deactivated while still in commission on 28 April 1995. Whale was placed in reserve, in commission, on 1 October 1995.
Whale's scrapping via the U.S. Navy's Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington, began on 20 October 1995. She was officially decommissioned on 25 June 1996 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day. Her scrapping was completed on 1 July 1996 and she was officially listed as scrapped on 29 September 1997.
