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USS Albuquerque (SSN-706)
Encyclopedia
USS Albuquerque (SSN-706), a Los Angeles-class
attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Albuquerque, New Mexico
. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat
Division of General Dynamics
Corporation in Groton, Connecticut
on 31 October 1973 and her keel was laid down on 27 December 1979. She was launched
on 13 March 1982 sponsored by Mrs. Nancy L. Domenici, and commissioned
on 21 May 1983 with Captain Richard H. Hartman in command.
At the beginning of 1984, Albuquerque reentered Electric Boat
Shipyard for post-shakedown availability, returning to sea on 15 April. In May, she transited to the Florida
coast for weapons and combat systems certifications. During the summer, she participated in a fleet exercise and took part in a midshipman training cruise. In August, Albuquerque began normal operations from her home port. October and November brought extended operations at sea in the Atlantic Ocean
, and, in December, she underwent additional repairs at Electric Boat.
Albuquerque began 1985 with sonar
training and weapons systems drills in her local operating area. In February, she completed preparations for a two-month patrol that began on 27 February, returning home at the beginning of May. Operations along the East Coast occupied her time until mid-June when Albuquerque went back to sea. Two months later, she returned and took up local duty until November when she cruised to Florida to serve as a school ship for prospective commanding officers. Albuquerque resumed local operations out of her home port in December.
On 14 January 1986, Albuquerque entered Electric Boat
Shipyard for a two-month restricted availability. In March, she began alternating between local evolutions and upkeep in her home port until late May. Between 19 May and 14 September, Albuquerque remained at sea, making port calls in Scotland
and England
. She returned home in mid-September and, after post-deployment standdown, reported to Exuma Sound
late in October for sound trials. She returned to Groton briefly at the beginning of November, but put to sea on 4 November to take part in two fleet exercises. Upkeep at New London, Connecticut
, took up the period between 24 November and 7 December and an ASW exercise consumed most of December.
confirms that Albuquerque was operating off the coast of Long Island, New York during the evening of 17 July 1996, but had nothing to do with the loss of TWA Flight 800
.
In 1999, Albuquerque participated in a six-month Mediterranean cruise as a part of the USS Theodore Roosevelt
battlegroup. She fired 10 Tomahawk
(TLAM) cruise missiles at targets in Serb-controlled Yugoslavia
, setting records for number of TLAMs fired from a Flight-I 688 class submarine, as well as the shortest time from tasking to firing on a target, earning her the nickname of "Sure Shooter". The ship pulled into several liberty ports during this cruise, including Naples
, La Maddalena
, and Toulon
.
in history. During this time, CDR Burroughs was relieved of command by CDR Stuart Munch. After completing the major overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
in Kittery, Maine, USS Albuquerque returned to Groton in early 2003. The rest of 2003 was spent conducing local operations, an ORSE
and a weapons system upgrade. Most of 2004 was spent at sea preparing for the ship's first overseas deployment since the shipyard. This included a two month overseas surge deployment with a port call in Rota, Spain.
USS Albuquerque conducted a six month deployment as part of the USS Harry S. Truman
Carrier Strike Group from 13 October 2004 to 12 April 2005. The ship made port calls in Scotland, Portugal, Bahrain, Seychelles, and Crete. During this deployment, USS Albuquerque was awarded the Squadron 2 Battle Efficiency Award for 2004. Albuquerque is homeported in Groton, Connecticut, as part of Submarine Group 2.
On 27 June 2005, CDR Robert Douglass relieved CDR Stuart Munsch as Commanding Officer.
In July 2005, Ariel Weinmann
, a fire-control technician deserted from Albuquerque and remained at large until he was arrested in early August 2006. In addition to desertion
, he was charged with espionage
. He allegedly tried to pass sensitive information about Albuquerque to agents of unspecified foreign governments on at least three occasions: in March 2005 in Manama
, in October 2005 in Vienna
, and in March in Mexico City
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/northamerica/article_1188753.php/US_sailor_faces_espionage_charges.
On 6 August 2009, Albuquerque completed her change of homeport from Groton, Conn., to Naval Base Point Loma in order to maintain 60 percent of the submarine force in the Pacific in line with the 2006 QDR.
Los Angeles class submarine
The Los Angeles class, sometimes called the LA class or the 688 class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet. With 43 submarines on active duty and 19 retired, the Los Angeles class is the most numerous nuclear powered...
attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat
Electric boat
While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...
Division of General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
Corporation in Groton, Connecticut
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
on 31 October 1973 and her keel was laid down on 27 December 1979. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 13 March 1982 sponsored by Mrs. Nancy L. Domenici, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 21 May 1983 with Captain Richard H. Hartman in command.
1983-1986
Albuquerque spent the remainder of 1983 engaged in operations at sea completing a variety of tests, examinations, certifications, and inspections.At the beginning of 1984, Albuquerque reentered Electric Boat
Electric boat
While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...
Shipyard for post-shakedown availability, returning to sea on 15 April. In May, she transited to the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
coast for weapons and combat systems certifications. During the summer, she participated in a fleet exercise and took part in a midshipman training cruise. In August, Albuquerque began normal operations from her home port. October and November brought extended operations at sea in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, and, in December, she underwent additional repairs at Electric Boat.
Albuquerque began 1985 with sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
training and weapons systems drills in her local operating area. In February, she completed preparations for a two-month patrol that began on 27 February, returning home at the beginning of May. Operations along the East Coast occupied her time until mid-June when Albuquerque went back to sea. Two months later, she returned and took up local duty until November when she cruised to Florida to serve as a school ship for prospective commanding officers. Albuquerque resumed local operations out of her home port in December.
On 14 January 1986, Albuquerque entered Electric Boat
Electric boat
While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...
Shipyard for a two-month restricted availability. In March, she began alternating between local evolutions and upkeep in her home port until late May. Between 19 May and 14 September, Albuquerque remained at sea, making port calls in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She returned home in mid-September and, after post-deployment standdown, reported to Exuma Sound
Exuma
Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands . The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma by a small bridge. The capital and largest city in the district is George Town , founded 1793 and located on Great...
late in October for sound trials. She returned to Groton briefly at the beginning of November, but put to sea on 4 November to take part in two fleet exercises. Upkeep at New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, took up the period between 24 November and 7 December and an ASW exercise consumed most of December.
1996-1999
The United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
confirms that Albuquerque was operating off the coast of Long Island, New York during the evening of 17 July 1996, but had nothing to do with the loss of TWA Flight 800
TWA Flight 800
Trans World Airlines Flight 800 , a Boeing 747-131, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 20:31 EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 230 persons on board. At the time, it was the second-deadliest U.S...
.
In 1999, Albuquerque participated in a six-month Mediterranean cruise as a part of the USS Theodore Roosevelt
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
USS Theodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her radio call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War...
battlegroup. She fired 10 Tomahawk
BGM-109 Tomahawk
The Tomahawk is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. Introduced by General Dynamics in the 1970s, it was designed as a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a surface platform. It has been improved several times and, by way of corporate divestitures...
(TLAM) cruise missiles at targets in Serb-controlled Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, setting records for number of TLAMs fired from a Flight-I 688 class submarine, as well as the shortest time from tasking to firing on a target, earning her the nickname of "Sure Shooter". The ship pulled into several liberty ports during this cruise, including Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, La Maddalena
La Maddalena
La Maddalena is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio, Italy.-The town:...
, and Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
.
2003-2009
In preparation for Engineering Refueling Operation (ERO), USS Albuquerque completed a Dual Media Discharge (DMD). During the shipyard period 22 months in length, the Albuquerque was commended for being the fastest, and most cost effective nuclear reactor refueling operationRefueling and Overhaul
In the United States Navy, Refueling and Overhaul refers to a lengthy process or procedure performed on nuclear-powered Naval ships, which involves replacement of expended nuclear fuel with new fuel and a general maintenance fix-up, renovation, and often modernization of the entire ship...
in history. During this time, CDR Burroughs was relieved of command by CDR Stuart Munch. After completing the major overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
in Kittery, Maine, USS Albuquerque returned to Groton in early 2003. The rest of 2003 was spent conducing local operations, an ORSE
Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination
An Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination is an examination conducted by senior United States Navy personnel on US Navy Nuclear Powered aircraft carriers and submarines...
and a weapons system upgrade. Most of 2004 was spent at sea preparing for the ship's first overseas deployment since the shipyard. This included a two month overseas surge deployment with a port call in Rota, Spain.
USS Albuquerque conducted a six month deployment as part of the USS Harry S. Truman
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)
USS Harry S. Truman is the eighth Nimitz-class supercarrier of the United States Navy, named after the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. HSTs callsign is Lone Warrior and is currently homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.Harry S...
Carrier Strike Group from 13 October 2004 to 12 April 2005. The ship made port calls in Scotland, Portugal, Bahrain, Seychelles, and Crete. During this deployment, USS Albuquerque was awarded the Squadron 2 Battle Efficiency Award for 2004. Albuquerque is homeported in Groton, Connecticut, as part of Submarine Group 2.
On 27 June 2005, CDR Robert Douglass relieved CDR Stuart Munsch as Commanding Officer.
In July 2005, Ariel Weinmann
Ariel Weinmann
Petty Officer Ariel Weinmann, formerly a Fire Control Technician 3rd Class, now a Seaman Recruit with the United States Navy pled guilty on 4 December 2006 to espionage, desertion and other charges. His case is notable as an espionage case where the Navy and trial court officials have denied...
, a fire-control technician deserted from Albuquerque and remained at large until he was arrested in early August 2006. In addition to desertion
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
, he was charged with espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. He allegedly tried to pass sensitive information about Albuquerque to agents of unspecified foreign governments on at least three occasions: in March 2005 in Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, in October 2005 in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and in March in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/northamerica/article_1188753.php/US_sailor_faces_espionage_charges.
On 6 August 2009, Albuquerque completed her change of homeport from Groton, Conn., to Naval Base Point Loma in order to maintain 60 percent of the submarine force in the Pacific in line with the 2006 QDR.