USS Louisville (SSN-724)

USS "Louisville" (SSN-724), a "Los Angeles"-class submarine, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Louisville, Kentucky. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 11 February 1982 and her keel was laid down on 24 September 1984. She was launched on 14 December 1985 sponsored by Mrs. Kinnaird McKee, and commissioned on 8 November 1986 with Captain Charles E. Ellis in command.

"Louisville" serves as a trials platform for the prototype BQQ-10 ARCI sonars, which incorporate off-the-shelf computer components, allowing easy introduction of modular upgrades.

tations and deployments

The "Louisville" transited the Panama Canal in January 1987 to make her home base at Point Loma Naval Station in San Diego as a part of COMSUBRON11.

During her stay at San Diego, Louisville conducted several WestPac tours. During her 1988-89 WestPac "Louisville" visited Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Guam.

In January and February 1991, as Operation Desert Storm began, "Louisville" carried out the first war patrol conducted by an American submarine since World War II. The patrol began with a 14,000-mile submerged, high-speed transit across the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean to the Red Sea. Shortly after noon on 19 January, she launched Tomahawk cruise missiles against targets in Iraq, becoming the first submarine to launch Tomahawks in combat, as well as having fired the first warshot of Desert Storm. For this war patrol, "Louisville" was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.

In July 1992 "Louisville" became the first attack submarine to work up and deploy with a carrier battle group in the Pacific.

Currently stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Most recently, USS "Louisville" “deployed” to the Atlantic to begin an 18-month overhaul and modernization in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, NH.

Trivia

* "Louisville" briefly held the speed record for submarines.
* During the filming of Tom Clancy's Hunt for Red October, "Louisville" played the part of the USS "Dallas" for the scene in which, on a stormy day, Jack Ryan is dropped from a helicopter to the submarine.
* Louisville Slugger baseball bat company created a commemorative bat to recognize the "Louisville's" Gulf War achievements. Each crew member received a bat, a bat is on display on the "Louisville".

References

* http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1017093