USS Albany (SSN-753)
USS Albany (SSN-753) is a Los Angeles-class submarine, the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Albany, New York. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia, on 29 November 1983 and her keel was laid down on 22 April 1985. She was launched on 13 June 1987 sponsored by Nancy M. Kissinger, wife of Henry Kissinger, and was commissioned on 7 April 1990 with Commander Darl R. Anderson in command.
USS Albany underway | |
History | |
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United States | |
Namesake: | The City of Albany, New York |
Awarded: | 29 November 1983 |
Builder: | Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company |
Laid down: | 22 April 1985 |
Launched: | 13 June 1987 |
Sponsored by: | Mrs. Nancy M. Kissinger |
Commissioned: | 7 April 1990 |
Homeport: | Norfolk, Virginia |
Motto: | Still Making History |
Status: | Ship in active service |
Badge: | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Los Angeles-class submarine |
Displacement: | |
Length: | 110.3 m (361 ft 11 in) |
Beam: | 10 m (32 ft 10 in) |
Draft: | 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in) |
Propulsion: | S6G nuclear reactor |
Complement: | 15 officers, 98 men |
Armament: | 4 21 in (533 mm) bow tubes, 10 Mk48 ADCAP torpedo reloads, Tomahawk land attack missile block 3 SLCM range 1,700 nmi (3,148 km; 1,956 mi), Harpoon anti–surface ship missile range 70 nmi (130 km; 81 mi), mine laying Mk67 mobile mine & Mk60 captor mines |
Albany was the last US submarine built via the traditional "keel up" ship construction method. Thus, it was the last submarine to "launch" down the shipway.
Albany and USS Topeka, differ from other members of the Los Angeles class as their pressure hulls were partially manufactured using stronger HY-100 steel rather than the HY-80 steel used in the manufacturing of all other Los Angeles-class submarines. This was done to test construction methods using this steel, which would later be employed in the assembly of the new Seawolf-class submarines.[1]
On 30 July 2004 Albany returned to Norfolk, Virginia, after a six-month deployment that began in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, then proceeded to the Mediterranean Sea for a NATO exercise, Operation "MEDSHARK/Majestic Eagle."
References
- Baker 1998, p. 1009.
- Baker, A.D. (1998). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-111-4.
- Miller, David (2002). The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World. Motor Books International. ISBN 0-7603-1345-8.
This article includes information collected from the public domain sources Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and Naval Vessel Register.