_underway.jpg) USSBillfish (SSN-676) early in 1971 (picture taken during first sea trial). | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSBillfish (SSN-676) |
| Namesake | Thebillfish, a name used for any fish with bill-shaped jaws |
| Ordered | 15 July 1966 |
| Builder | TheElectric Boat Division ofGeneral Dynamics Corporation,Groton,Connecticut |
| Laid down | 20 September 1968 |
| Launched | 1 May 1970 |
| Commissioned | 12 March 1971 |
| Decommissioned | 1 July 1999 |
| Stricken | 1 July 1999 |
| Motto | Spirit of 76 |
| Fate | Scrapping viaShip and Submarine Recycling Program completed 26 April 2000 |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Sturgeon-classattack submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 292 ft 3 in (89.08 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft 8 in (9.65 m) |
| Draft | 28 ft 8 in (8.74 m) |
| Installed power | 15,000shaft horsepower (11.2megawatts) |
| Propulsion | OneS5Wnuclear reactor, twosteam turbines, onescrew |
| Speed |
|
| Test depth | 1,300 feet (396 meters) |
| Complement | 109 (14officers, 95enlisted men) |
| Armament | 4 × 21-inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes |
USSBillfish (SSN-676), aSturgeon-classattack submarine, was the second ship of theUnited States Navy to be named for thebillfish, a name used for any fish, such asgar orspearfish, with bill-shaped jaws.
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The contract to buildBillfish was awarded to theElectric Boat Division ofGeneral Dynamics Corporation inGroton,Connecticut, on 15 July 1966 and her keel was laid down on 20 September 1968. She waslaunched on 1 May 1970, sponsored by Mrs. Earle G. Wheeler, the wife ofChairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffGeneralEarle G. Wheeler (1908–1975), andcommissioned on 12 March 1971.
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Upon her commission, she was assigned to Submarine Development Group Two, based in Groton, Connecticut. She was deployed to the Mediterranean, participating in fleet exercises and tactical and sonar development tests. She was awarded theBattle Effectiveness Award for her performance in the Development Group.
In 1973,Billfish trailed the Soviet submarineK-279 in theBarents Sea, correctly identifying a new Soviet submarine radar present on K-279. In 1974, she witnessed a launch of the then newly-developed SovietR-29 submarine-launched ballistic missile. For these actions, along with participation in several fleet exercises, she was awarded theMeritorous Unit Commendation 1in 1974.
Billfish participated in the 1977Silver Jubilee Fleet Review.
Billfish was one of the few submarines fitted to carry theMystic class deep submergence rescue vehicle during the 1980s.
Billfish spent the rest of her service career on regular deployments. Her last patrol, in theArctic Ocean, ended in November 1997.
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Billfish wasdecommissioned on 1 July 1999 and stricken from theNaval Vessel Register the same day. Her scrapping was via the Nuclear-PoweredShip and Submarine Recycling Program atPuget Sound Naval Shipyard inBremerton,Washington, was completed on 26 April 2000.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere. This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBillfish (SSN-676) at theNaval Vessel Register.
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