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USS Nevada (SSBN-733)
Encyclopedia
USS Nevada (SSBN-733) is a United States Navy
ballistic missile submarine
that has been in commission since 1986. She is the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Nevada
, the 36th state
.
Division of General Dynamics
Corporation in Groton
, Connecticut
, on 7 January 1981 and her keel
was laid down there on 8 August 1983. She was launched
on 14 September 1985 sponsored by Mrs. Carol Laxalt, the wife of United States Senator Paul Laxalt
of Nevada, and commissioned
on 16 August 1986, with Captain
F.W. Rohm in command of the Blue Crew and Captain William Stone in command of the Gold Crew.
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During the night of 1 August-2 August 2006, Nevada was operating at periscope depth in the Strait of Juan de Fuca
when she snagged and broke the towline between the tug
Phyllis Dunlap and one of two barge
s Phyllis Dunlap was towing from Honolulu
, Hawaii
, to Seattle
, Washington. Fiberglass
portions of Nevadas sail
were damaged, and a second tug had to recover the drifting barge.
In both 2006 and 2007, Nevadas Crew was awarded with the Battle Efficiency Award (Battle "E")
. This award is given to the best submarine in its respective submarine squadron
and is determined based on performance in inspections for tactical readiness and nuclear reactor
safety, among other factors.
In February of 2008, Nevada entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton Site for a regularly scheduled Engineering Refueling Overhaul. The 'Green' crew worked for nearly 30 months on the refit and refuel until they were separated back to the 'Gold' and 'Blue' crews on July 21st, 2010 in preparation for workups and sea trials.
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...
ballistic missile submarine
Ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
that has been in commission since 1986. She is the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, the 36th state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
.
Construction and commissioning
The contract to build Nevada was awarded to the Electric BoatElectric 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
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....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, on 7 January 1981 and her keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid down there on 8 August 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 14 September 1985 sponsored by Mrs. Carol Laxalt, the wife of United States Senator Paul Laxalt
Paul Laxalt
Paul Dominique Laxalt of Nevada was a former Republican District Attorney, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and U.S. Senator. In the media, the words "son of a Basque sheepherder" often accompanied his name. He was one of Ronald Reagan's closest friends in politics...
of Nevada, 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 16 August 1986, with Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
F.W. Rohm in command of the Blue Crew and Captain William Stone in command of the Gold Crew.
Service history
During the night of 1 August-2 August 2006, Nevada was operating at periscope depth in the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
when she snagged and broke the towline between the tug
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
Phyllis Dunlap and one of two barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s Phyllis Dunlap was towing from Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington. Fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
portions of Nevadas sail
Sail (submarine)
In naval parlance, the sail or fin of a submarine is the tower-like structure found on the dorsal surface of submarines...
were damaged, and a second tug had to recover the drifting barge.
In both 2006 and 2007, Nevadas Crew was awarded with the Battle Efficiency Award (Battle "E")
Battle Efficiency Award
The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...
. This award is given to the best submarine in its respective submarine squadron
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
and is determined based on performance in inspections for tactical readiness and nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
safety, among other factors.
In February of 2008, Nevada entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton Site for a regularly scheduled Engineering Refueling Overhaul. The 'Green' crew worked for nearly 30 months on the refit and refuel until they were separated back to the 'Gold' and 'Blue' crews on July 21st, 2010 in preparation for workups and sea trials.