Ex-USS Narwhal (SSN-671)

 military, United States Navy, nuclear submarine

A unique one-off design of Attack Submarine, the USS Narwhal was laid down at the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, CT in July of 1964 as the sole member of her class and commissioned into US Navy service in July 1969. Sharing some of her exterior appearance with boats of the Sturgeon Class, the Narwhal's interior layout from Stem to Stern was radically different from any other boat in service, especially within her propulsion spaces and as she joined the US Atlantic Fleet she and her crew began extensive evaluation duties of her onboard systems.

Found to be quieter than any of her contemporaries due to her natural circulation reactor plant and revolutionary coolant systems, the Narwhal could operate at high speeds with radiant sound levels which would not be bested until the appearance of the Ohio and Seawolf Class of Nuclear Submarines, two designs which were strongly influenced by Narwhal's design. Considered to be a spacious boat by her crews, the Narwhal's capabilities meant that she was often at sea tracking her Soviet counterparts throughout the Atlantic and Arctic during her long career, the only major exception being three major overhauls and two reactor refueling periods. With much of her operations still classified, the nature of Narwhal's contributions to the Cold War can be best measured through her four Meritorious Unit Commendations, five Battle Efficiency E awards and four Engineering E awards earned by both ship and crew.

Replaced operationally by the first members of the Seawolf Class starting in 1997 and with her ageing systems in need of another costly overhaul, the Navy ordered the decommissioning of the Narwhal in 1999. Deactivated in January 1999 at Norfolk Naval Station, the Narwhal was defueled and subsequently towed to her current location at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where she was formally decommissioned in July of 1999. Briefly made the subject of a failed preservation effort as a floating exhibit and classroom at the National Submarine Science Discovery Center (NSSDC) in Newport, KY from 2003-2005, the Narwhal was removed from the donation hold list and is now slated for recycling.

www.navsource.org/archives/08/08671.htm
www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/ssn-671.htm