USS Birmingham (SSN-695)

USS Birmingham (SSN-695), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Birmingham, Alabama. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 24 January 1972 and her keel was laid down on 26 April 1975. She was launched on 29 October 1977 sponsored by Mrs. Maryon Pittman Allen, wife of Senator James Allen, and commissioned on 16 December 1978, with Commander Paul L. Callahan in command.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Birmingham.
Birmingham underway
History
United States
Name: USS Birmingham
Awarded: 24 January 1972
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down: 26 April 1975
Launched: 29 October 1977
Commissioned: 16 December 1978
Decommissioned: 22 December 1997
Stricken: 22 December 1997
Motto: Simpliciter Optimus (translated from the unofficial English language "Simply the Best" by former-MM1(SS) Rick Penza)
Fate: Disposed of by submarine recycling
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Los Angeles-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 5,789 tons light
  • 6,159 tons full
  • 370 tons dead
Length: 110.3 m (361 ft 11 in)
Beam: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draft: 9.7 m (31 ft 10 in)
Propulsion: S6G nuclear reactor, 2 turbines, 35,000 hp (26 MW), 1 auxiliary motor 325 hp (242 kW), 1 shaft
Speed:
  • 15 knots (28 km/h) surfaced
  • 32 knots (59 km/h) submerged
Test depth: Greater than 400 ft (120 m)
Complement: 12 officers; 98 enlisted
Armament:
  • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes
    • Mk 48-AdCap torpedoes
    • SubRoc anti-submarine rockets
    • Tomahawk cruise missiles

Birmingham was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 22 December 1997. Ex-Birmingham was scheduled to enter the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington on 1 October 2012.[1] In September 2015, Birmingham's sail was placed on static display at Defense Supply Center, Columbus.

References
  1. Morison, Samuel L. "US Naval Battle Force Changes 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2010" (PDF). Proceedings. US Naval Institute (May 2011).
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