USS Florida (SSGN-728)
Encyclopedia
USS Florida (SSBN-728/SSGN-728), an ballistic missile submarine
, is the sixth ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the 27th state
. She was commissioned with the hull designation of SSBN-728; with her conversion to a cruise missile submarine, she was re-designated SSGN-728.
Division of General Dynamics
Corporation in Groton, Connecticut
on 28 February 1975 and her keel was laid down on the bicentennial of the United States
's independence, 4 July 1976. The boat was unnamed at the keel-laying ceremony.
The initial ship's crew formed the precommissioning unit on 8 July 1980. The first shipboard watches were stationed on 14 February 1981 to support the operational control transfer of engineering systems to ship's force control. The Secretary of the Navy
finally named her on 19 January 1981.
Florida was launched
on 14 November 1981 sponsored by Mrs. Jarcia M. Carlucci. Her reactor was initially taken critical on 13 November 1982 and she went into service and the crew moved onboard on 21 January 1983. Florida commenced initial builders' sea trials on 21 February 1983 and was subsequently delivered to the Navy on 17 May 1983 – 43 days ahead of schedule. She was commissioned
on 18 June 1983, with Captain William L. Powell in command of the Blue Crew and Captain George R. Sterner in command of the Gold Crew.
. Florida transited the Panama Canal
in February and arrived in Bangor, Washington
on 25 March 1984. She completed her first strategic deterrent patrol on 25 July 1984.
As of November 2002, Florida had successfully completed 61 strategic deterrent patrols. She won the Battle E in 1989, 1991, 1994, 1999, and 2002. In 1991, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
. In 1997, Florida's skipper, Commander Michael J. Alfonso, was relieved of command for "browbeating his crew, ignoring his executive officer and chief of the boat, and acting as a tyrant."
in July 2003 to undergo a refueling
and conversion from an SSBN to an SSGN
. Florida completed her conversion in April 2006 and is homeported in Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
, Georgia. On 25 May 2006 she had a return to service ceremony at Naval Station Mayport
, Florida. Ms. Carlucci was the ship's sponsor for her recommissioning in Mayport, Florida in May 2006.
See the article on the for more information regarding the conversion.
warship
s, Florida fired scores of Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defense targets as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn
. The Tomahawk missile strikes allowed British, French, and allied warplanes to begin enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, preventing Muammar Gaddafi
from using the Libyan Air Force
to attack rebels his country. This was the first conventional or nuclear combat mission for the Florida or any other Ohio-class submarine. During Operation Odyssey Dawn, Florida launched 93 Tomahawk missiles, with 90 effective, out of her total magazine
of about 160 missiles.
Of the four Ohio-class SSGNs in the U.S. Navy, Florida was the only one that was available for use in Operation Odyssey Dawn since she was the only one that had been assigned to cruise the Mediterranean Sea
. Some other Tomahawk missiles were fired by American surface ships and by a few Royal Navy nuclear submarine
s.
Ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
, is the sixth 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 the 27th state
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...
. She was commissioned with the hull designation of SSBN-728; with her conversion to a cruise missile submarine, she was re-designated SSGN-728.
Construction and commissioning
The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric BoatElectric 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 28 February 1975 and her keel was laid down on the bicentennial of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's independence, 4 July 1976. The boat was unnamed at the keel-laying ceremony.
The initial ship's crew formed the precommissioning unit on 8 July 1980. The first shipboard watches were stationed on 14 February 1981 to support the operational control transfer of engineering systems to ship's force control. The Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
finally named her on 19 January 1981.
Florida 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 14 November 1981 sponsored by Mrs. Jarcia M. Carlucci. Her reactor was initially taken critical on 13 November 1982 and she went into service and the crew moved onboard on 21 January 1983. Florida commenced initial builders' sea trials on 21 February 1983 and was subsequently delivered to the Navy on 17 May 1983 – 43 days ahead of schedule. She was 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 18 June 1983, with Captain William L. Powell in command of the Blue Crew and Captain George R. Sterner in command of the Gold Crew.
Operational History
Both crews successfully completed the demonstration and shakedown operations, each culminated by the successful launch of a Trident C-4 missileTrident missile
The Trident missile is a submarine-launched ballistic missile equipped with multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles . The Fleet Ballistic Missile is armed with nuclear warheads and is launched from nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines . Trident missiles are carried by fourteen...
. Florida transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
in February and arrived in Bangor, Washington
Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Base Kitsap is a U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. It was created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor...
on 25 March 1984. She completed her first strategic deterrent patrol on 25 July 1984.
As of November 2002, Florida had successfully completed 61 strategic deterrent patrols. She won the Battle E in 1989, 1991, 1994, 1999, and 2002. In 1991, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
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...
. In 1997, Florida's skipper, Commander Michael J. Alfonso, was relieved of command for "browbeating his crew, ignoring his executive officer and chief of the boat, and acting as a tyrant."
Conversion to SSGN
Florida entered Norfolk Naval ShipyardNorfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
in July 2003 to undergo a refueling
Refueling 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...
and conversion from an SSBN to an SSGN
SSGN
A cruise missile submarine is a submarine that can launch guided missiles. SSGN is the United States Navy hull classification symbol for a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine. The SS denotes "Ship, Submersible" , the G denotes "guided missile," and the N denotes "nuclear powered"....
. Florida completed her conversion in April 2006 and is homeported in Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is a base of the United States Navy located adjacent to the town of St. Marys in Camden County, Georgia, in southeastern Georgia, and not far from Jacksonville, Florida. The Submarine Base is the U.S. Atlantic Fleet's home port for U.S. Navy Fleet ballistic missile...
, Georgia. On 25 May 2006 she had a return to service ceremony at Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a military airfield with one asphalt paved runway measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. ....
, Florida. Ms. Carlucci was the ship's sponsor for her recommissioning in Mayport, Florida in May 2006.
See the article on the for more information regarding the conversion.
Operation Odyssey Dawn
On 19 March 2011, in conjunction with other U.S. Navy and Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s, Florida fired scores of Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defense targets as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn
Operation Odyssey Dawn
Operation Odyssey Dawn was the U.S. code name for the US part of the international military operation in Libya to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. during the initial period of 19–31 March 2011, which continued afterwards under NATO command as Operation Unified Protector...
. The Tomahawk missile strikes allowed British, French, and allied warplanes to begin enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, preventing Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
from using the Libyan Air Force
Libyan Air Force
The Libyan Air Force is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the 2011 Libyan civil war, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000, with an inventory of 374 combat capable aircraft operating from 13 military airbases in...
to attack rebels his country. This was the first conventional or nuclear combat mission for the Florida or any other Ohio-class submarine. During Operation Odyssey Dawn, Florida launched 93 Tomahawk missiles, with 90 effective, out of her total magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
of about 160 missiles.
Of the four Ohio-class SSGNs in the U.S. Navy, Florida was the only one that was available for use in Operation Odyssey Dawn since she was the only one that had been assigned to cruise the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. Some other Tomahawk missiles were fired by American surface ships and by a few Royal Navy nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
s.
External links
- USS Florida (SSBN-728/SSGN-728) 1997 command histories – Naval History & Heritage Command