USS ''Seawolf'' (SSN-21), is a

nuclear-powered Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...

fast

attack submarine An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants and merchant vessels. In the Soviet and Russian navies they were and are called ...

and the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may ...

of her class. She is the fourth submarine of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

named for the seawolf, a solitary fish with strong, prominent teeth that give it a savage look.

Construction

The contract to build ''Seawolf'' was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics on 9 January 1989 and her keel was laid down on 25 October 1989. She was launched on 24 June 1995, sponsored by Mrs. Margaret Dalton, and commissioned on 19 July 1997. The 7-year 9-month time period from keel laying to commissioning is the longest for a submarine in the U.S. Navy. Adding support personnel as well as ship's crew, there are 140 personnel assigned or attached to ''Seawolf''.

History

''Seawolf'' is featured in a 1998 episode of the documentary ''Super Structures of the World: Seawolf''. The program followed her construction and

sea trial A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...

s. On 22 July 2007, ''Seawolf'' transferred from her previous homeport of

Naval Submarine Base New London Naval Submarine Base New London is the primary United States Navy East Coast submarine base, also known as the "Home of the Submarine Force." It is located in Groton, Connecticut directly across the Thames River from its namesake city of New L ...

Groton, Connecticut Groton is a town in New London County, Connecticut located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London i ...

, to

Naval Base Kitsap Naval Base Kitsap is a U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state, created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor. It is the home base for the Navy’s fleet throughout ...

, Washington. In 2015, ''Seawolf'' was deployed to the Arctic region for six months. In July 2020 ''Seawolf'' deployed into the Arctic area of responsibility. She conducted special operations and pulled into multiple European ports. Port calls included

HMNB Clyde His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde; also HMS ''Neptune''), primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). It ...

in Faslane Scotland, and

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, and briefly in Tromsø, Norway. ''Seawolf''s deployment was the first US Navy deployment during the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

Awards

;1997 * Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation (1995–1997) ;2001 * Battle Efficiency "E" Ribbon ;2002 *

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) is a United States Armed Forces award created by George W. Bush on 12 March 2003, through Executive Order 13289. The medal recognizes those military service members who have deployed ove ...

(2002–2011) ;2004 *Battle Efficiency "E" Ribbon ;2007 *Tactical White "T" *Battle Efficiency "E" Ribbon *

Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award The Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award is presented annually by the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations to one ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and one in the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Generally the recipient is the ship with the highest score in ...

* Meritorious Unit Commendation ;2009 * Navy Unit Commendation ;2014 *Battle Efficiency "E" Ribbon *Weapons "W" *Navigation Red and Green "N" *Supply Blue "E" *Personnel "P" ;2015 *Battle Efficiency "E" Ribbon *Weapons "W" *Navigation Red and Green "N" *Supply Blue "E" *Engineering Red "E" ;2020 * Battle Efficiency "E" Ribbon *Weapons "W" *Navigation Red and Green "N" *Supply Blue "E" *

Navy Expeditionary Medal The Navy Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was established in August 1936. Award criteria The General Orders of the Department of the Navy which established the medal states, "The medal will be awarded, to ...

* Arctic Service Ribbon *

Navy and Marine Corps Sea Service Deployment Ribbon A Sea Service Ribbon is an award of the United States Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army, and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps which recognizes those service members who have performed military duty while stationed on a Un ...

(2X) *Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation *Arleigh Burke Trophy

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Seawolf (SSN-21) Ships built in Groton, Connecticut Seawolf-class submarines Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy 1995 ships Submarines of the United States