USS Wyoming (SSBN-742)

USS Wyoming (SSBN-742) is a United States Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine which has been in commission since 1996. She is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to be named USS Wyoming, although it was only the third named after the state of Wyoming.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Wyoming.

USS Wyoming (SSBN-742)
USS Wyoming (SSBN-742) approaches Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga.; 9 January 2009.
History
United States
Namesake: The U.S. state of Wyoming
Ordered: 18 October 1989
Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down: 8 August 1991
Launched: 15 July 1995
Sponsored by: Mrs. Monika B. Owens
Commissioned: 13 July 1996
Homeport: Kings Bay, GA
Motto:
  • Cedant Arma Toga
  • ("Force must yield to law")[1]
Status: in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine
Displacement:
  • 16,764 long tons (17,033 t) surfaced[2][3]
  • 18,750 long tons (19,050 t) submerged[2]
Length: 560 ft (170 m)
Beam: 42 ft (13 m)[2]
Draft: 38 ft (12 m)
Propulsion:
  • 1 × S8G PWR nuclear reactor[2]
  • 2 × geared turbines[2]
  • 1 × 325 hp (242 kW) auxiliary motor
  • 1 × shaft @ 60,000 shp (45,000 kW)[2]
Speed: Greater than 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[4]
Test depth: Greater than 800 feet (240 m)[4]
Complement:
Armament:
  • MK-48 torpedoes
  • 24 × Trident II D-5 ballistic missiles

Construction and commissioning

The contract to build Wyoming was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 18 October 1989 and her keel was laid down there on 8 August 1991. She was launched on 15 July 1995, sponsored by Mrs. Monika B. Owens, and commissioned on 13 July 1996, with Captain Randall D. Preston in command of the Blue Crew and Commander Seth F. Paradise in command of the Gold Crew.

Service history
USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) transits the Intracoastal Waterway; 11 February 2009

On 26 July 1996, Wyoming arrived at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, Georgia, becoming the ninth submarine to be home-ported there.

In 2011, Wyoming became one of the first four submarines to allow female officers. During patrols from August to November 2013 and March to June 2014, four women were secretly recorded in the shower changing room, including midshipmen and officers assigned to the boat. An investigation resulted in eight male sailors being court-martialed and three receiving captain's mast.

On 6 June 2012, Wyoming participated in a historic medevac exercise with a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey making a 12,000 nautical mile flight to collect a stretcher from the submarine.[5]

On 7 January 2018, she arrived at Norfolk Naval Shipyard to begin a 27-month overhaul to include midlife refueling, technological upgrades, and new berthing spaces for enlisted women.[6]

References
  1. Boat Pages - USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) Archived 16 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Ohio-class SSGN-726". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  3. Frost, Peter. "Newport News contract awarded". Daily Press. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  4. "Submarine Frequently Asked Questions". Chief of Naval Operations Submarine Warfare Division. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  5. Kington, Tom. "‘Handful’ of Foreign Countries Eyeing V-22 Purchases, Program Manager Says." Defense News, 9 July 2012.
  6. Vergakis, Brock (2 February 2018). "Ballistic-missile submarine USS Wyoming's life being extended in Portsmouth". Pilot Online. The Virginia Pilot. Retrieved 14 April 2018.

Eight hours of interviews and footage captured by C-SPAN cameras during 24 hours spent on Wyoming:


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.