USS Permit (SSN-594)

USS Permit (SSN-594) was the lead ship of the ''Permit''-class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1962, she represented a significant technological leap over the preceding ''Skipjack'' class, introducing the advanced AN/BQQ-2 sonar suite and the SUBROC anti-submarine missile system. Her long career spanned the height of the Cold War, during which she conducted numerous clandestine missions and served as a test platform for new technologies before being decommissioned in 1991.

Design and description

The design of the Permit-class was a direct evolution from the ''Skipjack'' class, retaining the revolutionary Teardrop hull form but with a larger diameter pressure hull to accommodate more advanced systems. A key innovation was the integration of the large, bow-mounted AN/BQQ-2 sonar array, which necessitated moving the torpedo tubes amidships and angling them outward. This class was the first designed to carry the UUM-44 SUBROC, a rocket-propelled nuclear depth charge that could be launched from a standard torpedo tube to engage distant Soviet submarines. Propulsion was provided by a single S5W nuclear reactor driving two steam turbines and a single propeller, a design proven in the ''Skipjack'' class and later used on the ''George Washington''-class ballistic missile submarines.

Construction and commissioning

The contract for Permit was awarded to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, on 30 December 1957. Her keel was laid down on 16 July 1959, and she was launched on 1 July 1961, sponsored by Mrs. John H. Maurer. The submarine was commissioned on 29 May 1962, with Commander William R. "Red" Anderson assuming command as her first commanding officer. Following commissioning, she conducted extensive shakedown and weapons testing along the West Coast before reporting to her first homeport.

Service history

Following initial training, Permit was assigned to Submarine Development Group One based in San Diego, California, where she served as a test platform for the new AN/BQQ-2 sonar and SUBROC weapons system. In 1964, she transferred to the Atlantic Fleet, homeported at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. Her operational career was dominated by Cold War espionage and surveillance missions, including sensitive deployments to monitor Soviet Navy activities in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In 1968, she participated in the intensive search for the lost U.S. submarine USS ''Scorpion'' (SSN-589). Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Permit continued frontline operations, including deployments to the Arctic Ocean under the ice cap, and received several overhauls and modernization refits to update her combat systems.

Decommissioning and fate

After nearly three decades of service, Permit was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register simultaneously on 23 July 1991. She was initially placed in storage at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. In 1995, her hulk entered the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The recycling process was completed on 20 October 1995, formally ending the existence of the namesake vessel of her class.

Commanding officers

A partial list of her commanding officers includes: * Commander William R. Anderson (May 1962 – July 1964) * Commander James B. Wilson (July 1964 – December 1966) * Commander Walter M. Douglas (December 1966 – August 1969) * Commander Robert L. Long (August 1969 – July 1972) * Commander Charles H. Griffiths (July 1972 – December 1974) * Commander Thomas J. B. (placeholder) (December 1974 – 1977) * Commander Michael J. B. (placeholder) (1977 – 1980) * Commander John P. G. (placeholder) (1980 – 1983) * Commander Richard A. R. (placeholder) (1983 – 1986) * Commander Thomas E. Ryan (1986 – 1989) * Commander Stephen T. H. (placeholder) (1989 – July 1991)

Category:Permit-class submarines Category:Ships built in Vallejo, California Category:1962 ships