USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)

USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)
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Ship name	USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)
Ship owner	United States Navy
Ship builder	Newport News Shipbuilding
Ship launched	September 1976
Ship commissioned	November 1976
Ship decommissioned	January 2010
Ship class	Los Angeles-class submarine
Ship type	attack submarine
Ship displacement	6,900 long tons (surfaced)
Ship length	362 ft
Ship beam	33 ft
Ship propulsion	S9G reactor and steam turbine plant
Ship speed	20+ knots (submerged)
Ship complement	~120

USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) was the lead boat of the Los Angeles-class submarine series commissioned into the United States Navy during the Cold War. Built by Newport News Shipbuilding and launched in 1976, she served in diverse theaters including the NATO areas of operation, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Over a career spanning more than three decades, she participated in routine deterrence patrols, intelligence missions, and multinational exercises involving units from Royal Navy, French Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and NATO partners.

Design and Construction

The design of the Los Angeles-class drew on lessons from the Thresher/Permit-class submarine programs and the Skipjack-class submarine hull forms, emphasizing speed, quieting, and deep-diving capability. The lead ship was ordered under a Department of Defense procurement program managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command and built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia. The hull incorporated a teardrop form influenced by USS Albacore (AGSS-569) research, and the propulsion plant used a S9G reactor derived from ongoing reactor development overseen by Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory. Sonar and fire-control systems integrated suites from contractors with ties to General Dynamics, Westinghouse Electric Company, and Raytheon Technologies to field advanced combat systems compatible with Tomahawk cruise missiles and Mk 48 torpedoes.

Operational History

Following commissioning, the boat deployed to the Atlantic Ocean and conducted operations in the NATO theater alongside units of Submarine Squadron 6 and carrier groups centered on USS Nimitz (CVN-68). She took part in exercises such as Exercise Ocean Safari and bilateral operations with the Royal Navy and French Navy, while port visits included Norfolk, Virginia, Gibraltar, and La Maddalena. During the 1980s, the submarine executed intelligence-collection missions in proximity to Soviet Navy assets, monitored units of the Northern Fleet (Soviet Union), and contributed to anti-submarine warfare training for surface combatants like USS Ross (DDG-71) and USS Simpson (FFG-56). In the 1990s and 2000s she supported operations in the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf regions, integrating with carrier strike groups centered on USS George Washington (CVN-73) and participating in exercises with the Royal Australian Navy and Canadian Forces Maritime Command.

Upgrades and Modernization

Throughout her career, the boat underwent periods of overhaul and modernization at shipyards including Newport News Shipbuilding and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Mid-life refits upgraded combat systems to accommodate newer versions of the AN/BQQ-5 sonar suite and the BSY-1 and later BSY-2 combat systems, aligning with fleet-wide initiatives led by the Office of Naval Research and Naval Sea Systems Command. Hull and machinery modernization incorporated improved acoustic quieting measures inspired by research from Naval Undersea Warfare Center and installed improved navigation systems interoperable with Global Positioning System receivers certified by Naval Observatory. Weapon-system upgrades enabled employment of newer Tomahawk variants and integration with evolving tactical data links used by Carrier Strike Group commanders.

Incidents and Accidents

Over a long service life the submarine experienced routine engineering casualties and operational incidents typical to high-tempo submarine operations. She underwent repairs following main-space mechanical failures addressed at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and corrective maintenance after training collisions or close-quarters encounters during anti-submarine warfare exercises with NATO units including HMS Splendid (S105) and allied surface ships. Personnel issues and safety investigations were handled under the purview of Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet and Inspector General of the Department of the Navy, leading to procedural changes and enhanced training in damage control derived from lessons learned shared across the Submarine Force, United States Navy.

Decommissioning and Fate

The boat was placed in reserve status and decommissioned under the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in January 2010. Decommissioning actions were executed through the Naval Sea Systems Command processes that manage reactor defueling and hazardous-material remediation consistent with regulations from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and environmental oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency. Much of the recycled material entered industrial supply chains involving General Dynamics Electric Boat and regional shipbreaking contractors; select artifacts and components were transferred to museums and institutions such as the U.S. Navy Memorial and local naval heritage organizations.

Legacy and Honors

As the namesake and lead boat of a class that became the backbone of the United States Navy attack submarine fleet during the late Cold War and post-Cold War eras, the submarine's legacy is tied to force-projection and undersea warfare advancements credited to programs at Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Naval Reactors, and industrial partners like Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding. Awards and honors earned during service included unit commendations from Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet and campaign ribbons associated with deployments supporting Operations Desert Shield and post-Cold War contingency operations. The class she led influenced subsequent designs, including the Seawolf-class submarine and Virginia-class submarine, shaping U.S. undersea strategy and doctrines promulgated by Chief of Naval Operations and operational planners within United States Fleet Forces Command.

Category:Los Angeles-class submarines Category:Ships built in Newport News, Virginia