USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723)

USS "Oklahoma City" (SSN-723), a "Los Angeles"-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 13 August 1981 and her keel was laid down on 4 January 1984. She was launched on 2 November 1985 sponsored by Mrs. Linda M. Nickles, and commissioned on 9 July 1988, with Commander Kevin John Reardon. in command.

In 1991, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet.

On 13 November 2002, "Oklahoma City" collided with the Leif Hoegh liquified natural gas tanker "Norman Lady", east of the Strait of Gibraltar. No one on either vessel was hurt, and there were no leaks of oil from fuel tanks and no threat to the environment, but the submarine sustained damage to her periscope and sail area, and put into La Maddalena, Sardinia, for repairs. Her commanding officer, Commander Richard Voter, was relieved of his command on 30 November. One other officer and two enlisted crew members also were disciplined for alleged dereliction of duty.

On 20 January 2005 "Oklahoma City" returned to Norfolk, Virginia, after a six-month deployment in support of national security interests and the War on Terrorism. "OKC" transited to her patrol area in the Pacific Ocean via the Arctic Ocean, the first such transit for a first-flight "Los Angeles"-class submarine Fact|date=February 2007. After the patrol, she then completed a circumnavigation of North America by transiting back to the Atlantic Ocean through the Panama Canal and returning to her homeport in Norfolk.

In mid-2005, "Oklahoma City" became one of the first warships certified to use only digitalized navigation charts, instead using the Voyage Management System. VMS is part of the Smart Ship Integrated Bridge System, which has been under development since 1990.

From May to November 2007, the 'OK City' completed a deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of the War on Terror. May to July of 2008 the ship spent in the Eastern Pacific in support of the War on Drugs. The OK City was responsible for seizing greater than 11 metric tons of cocaine equal to greater than $1.5 billion.

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