USS Boise underway
History
United States
NameUSS Boise
NamesakeThe City of Boise, Idaho
Awarded6 February 1987
BuilderNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Laid down25 August 1988
Launched23 March 1991
Commissioned7 November 1992
In servicein dry dock for repairs
HomeportNorfolk, Virginia
MottoA One Ship Fleet
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeLos Angeles-class submarine
Displacement
  • 6,000 long tons (6,096 t) light
  • 6,927 long tons (7,038 t) full
  • 927 long tons (942 t) dead
Length110.3 m (361 ft 11 in)
Beam10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draft9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Propulsion
  • 1 × S6G PWR nuclear reactor with D2W core (165 MW), HEU 93.5%[1][2]
  • 2 × steam turbines (33,500) shp
  • 1 × shaft
  • 1 × secondary propulsion motor 325 hp (242 kW)
Speed
  • Surfaced:20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h)
  • Submerged: +20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) (official)
Complement13 officers, 121 Enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems		BQQ-5 passive sonar, BQS-15 detecting and ranging sonar, WLR-8 fire control radar receiver, WLR-9 acoustic receiver for detection of active search sonar and acoustic homing torpedoes, BRD-7 radio direction finder
Armament4 × 21-inch (533 mm) bow tubes, 10 Mk48 ADCAP torpedo reloads, Tomahawk land attack missile block 3 SLCM range 1,700 nautical miles (3,100 km), Harpoon anti–surface ship missile range 70 nautical miles (130 km), mine laying Mk67 mobile Mk60 captor mines

USS Boise (SSN-764), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Boise, Idaho. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 6 February 1987 and her keel was laid down on 25 August 1988. She was launched on 23 March 1991, and commissioned on 7 November 1992.

Service history

During a Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) carried out in 1999, Boise was reported "sunk" by Dutch diesel-electric powered submarine HNLMS Walrus. In the same exercise Walrus reportedly also took down eight other allied vessels, including the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Mount Whitney, flagship of the United States Sixth Fleet.

In 2002 Boise was assigned to the John F. Kennedy carrier strike group when the group took part in Operation Enduring Freedom.

In March 2003, Boise delivered some of the opening shots of Operation Iraqi Freedom when she launched a full load of Tomahawk missiles in support of the initial invasion. The ship and crew were later awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for their distinguished service in action.

In February 2017, Boise was no longer dive-certified as was awaiting scheduled maintenance at Norfolk. Due to congestion and delays in Navy shipyards, it was planned that Boise would receive maintenance at a private shipyard during Fiscal Year 2019. However, due to unforeseen delays she only entered drydock in early 2021. If she returns to service as scheduled in 2023, there would have been an eight-year pause between her patrols.[3]

The long wait has been attributed to a ten year lapse in capabilities and logistic setbacks discovered during the retrofit and restoration work done on submarines Helena and Columbus.[4]

References

This article includes information collected from the public domain sources Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and Naval Vessel Register.

  1. ^ "International Panel on Fissile Materials". fissilematerials.org. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Validation of the Use of Low Enriched Uranium as a Replacement for Highly Enriched Uranium in US Submarine Reactors" (PDF). dspace.mit.edu. June 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  3. ^ Ziezulewicz, Geoff (1 May 2021). "The Navy's saddest fast-attack sub will finally get the tender loving maintenance it needs". Navy Times. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  4. ^ Eckstein, Megan (26 May 2020). "NAVSEA Says Attack Sub Repairs Much Improved as USS Boise Enters Yard Following 4-Year Wait". USNI News. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
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