USS Augusta (SSN-710), a Los Angeles-class submarine

Los Angeles class submarine

The Los Angeles class, sometimes called the LA class or the 688 class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet. With 43 submarines on active duty and 19 retired, the Los Angeles class is the most numerous nuclear powered...

, was the second ship of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 to be named for Augusta, Maine

Augusta, Maine

Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...

. (There were three other ships named USS Augusta

USS Augusta

Five ships of the United States Navy have been named Augusta, the first four after the city of Augusta, Georgia, and the fifth after Augusta, Maine.* The , was a 14-gun brig in use from 1799 to 1801....

 that were named for Augusta, Georgia

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

). The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat

Electric boat

While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...

 Division of General Dynamics

General Dynamics

General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...

 Corporation in Groton, Connecticut

Groton, Connecticut

Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....

 on 31 October 1973 and her keel was laid down on 1 April 1983. She was launched

Ship naming and launching

The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...

 on 21 January 1984 sponsored by Mrs. Diana D. Cohen, and commissioned

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...

 on 19 January 1985, with Commander Thomas W. Turner in command.The Agusta was mentioned in the NCIS

NCIS (TV series)

NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...

episode "Sub Rosa while two agents were aboard the USS Philadelphia (SSN-690)

USS Philadelphia (SSN-690)

USS Philadelphia , a Los Angeles-class attack submarine, was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 8 January 1971 and her keel...

1986 collision

The Soviet Navy

Soviet Navy

The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...

 claims that on 3 October 1986, Augusta, commanded by James von Suskil, collided with the 667AU Nalim (Yankee-I) class

Yankee class submarine

The Yankee class is the NATO classification for a type of nuclear-powered submarine that was constructed by the Soviet Union from 1968 onward. 34 units were produced under Project 667A Navaga and Project 667AU Nalim...

 ballistic missile submarine K-219

Soviet submarine K-219

K-219 was a Navaga-class ballistic missile submarine of the Soviet Navy. She carried 16 SS-N-6 liquid-fuel missiles powered by UDMH with IRFNA, equipped with an estimated 34 nuclear warheads....

, commanded by Igor Britanov

Igor Britanov

Captain Second Rank Igor Anatolievich Britanov, Soviet Navy was the captain of the Soviet missile submarine K-219 when it sank off the coast of Bermuda on October 3, 1986.-The incident on K-219:...

, off the coast of Bermuda. The United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 states that K-219 was disabled by an internal explosion.

On 20 October 1986, shortly after K-219 sank and Augusta had returned to patrol, she collided with something, and was forced to return to Groton for about US$3 million in repairs to her bow and sonar sphere. What she collided with is officially unknown. If not the K-219, it is suggested that she had been trailing a Delta-I ballistic missile submarine

Delta class submarine

The Delta class is a class of submarines which formed the backbone of the Soviet and Russian strategic submarine fleet since its introduction in 1973...

, and, unknown to Augusta, being trailed in turn by a Victor class submarine

Victor class submarine

The Victor class is the NATO reporting name for a type of nuclear-powered submarine that was originally put into service by the Soviet Union around 1967. In the USSR, they were produced as Project 671. Victor-class subs featured a teardrop shape, which allowed them to travel at high speed...

. If abrupt maneuvers were made, Augusta could have collided with the Delta. Photographs exist of a Delta submarine with a large dent in its starboard bow, which the Soviet Navy

Soviet Navy

The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...

 identified as K-279

Soviet submarine K-279

K-279 was the first Project 667B Murena ballistic missile submarine of the Soviet Navy. Development of Project 667B began in 1965. Her keel was laid down in 1971 by Sevmash at the Severodvinsk shipyard...

. In Russian version of book the soviet submarine is identified as K-457.

Later service

Beginning in July 1987, shortly after that repair work completed, Augusta began service as trials boat for the BQG-5D Wide Aperture Array (WAA) passive sonar system and carrying the prototype BQQ-10 ARCI sonar

Sonar

Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...

s, which incorporate off-the-shelf computer components, allowing easy introduction of modular upgrades.

In 2003, the USS Augusta was one of a handful of submarines participating in Tomahawk Strikes against Iraq in the opening of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The boat successfully launched missiles against all assigned missions leaving the theater with 100% completion.

The USS Augusta underwent extensive maintenance during 2006 to prepare for six month deployment in 2007, which began in March and completed in September. Augusta changed its homeport to Norfolk Naval Shipyard where it began decommissioning in January 2008.

USS Augusta began decommissioning in January 2008, and completed the disassembly of her reactor on 24 November 2008.

External links

• USS Augusta SSN-710 Official Alumni Association
• USS Augusta SSN 710 Alumni News Blog
• USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) command histories – Naval History & Heritage Command