USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630)
USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630), a James Madison-class fleet ballistic missile submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for John C. Calhoun (1782–1850), the Democratic legislator and statesman.
.jpg.webp) USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630) in 1972 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Namesake: | John Calhoun, South Carolinian politician |
| Ordered: | 20 July 1961 |
| Builder: | Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Virginia |
| Laid down: | 4 June 1962 |
| Launched: | 22 June 1963 |
| Sponsored by: | Miss Rosalie J. Calhoun |
| Commissioned: | 15 September 1964 |
| Decommissioned: | 28 March 1994 |
| Stricken: | 28 March 1994 |
| Motto: | For Peace, Ready |
| Fate: | Scrapping via Ship-Submarine Recycling Program completed 18 November 1994 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | James Madison-class submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 425 ft (130 m) |
| Beam: | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Draft: | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Installed power: | S5W reactor |
| Propulsion: | 2 × geared steam turbines 15,000 shp (11,185 kW), one shaft |
| Speed: | Over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Test depth: | 1,300 feet (400 m) |
| Complement: | Two crews (Blue and Gold) of 13 officers and 130 enlisted men each |
| Armament: |
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Construction and commissioning
The contract to build John C. Calhoun was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia, on 20 July 1961 and her keel was laid down there on 4 June 1962. She was launched on 22 June 1963 sponsored by Miss Rosalie J. Calhoun, and commissioned on 15 September 1964, with Commander Deane L. Axene in command of the Blue Crew and Commander Frank A. Thurtell in command of the Gold Crew.
Operational history
After shakedown and training along the United States East Coast, John C. Calhoun began operational deterrent patrols on 22 March 1965, assigned to Submarine Squadron 18.
- History from 1965 to 1994 needed.
From 1979 to 1982, John C. Calhoun received upgrades necessary to enable her to carry the new Trident I ballistic missiles.
Pulled into Agadir, Morocco in January 1983
Decommissioning and disposal
John C. Calhoun was decommissioned on 28 March 1994 at Bremerton, Washington, and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day. Her scrapping via the Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Washington, was completed on 18 November 1994.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630). |
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
- Photo gallery of USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630) at NavSource Naval History
- "USS John C. Calhoun Veterans Association". Retrieved 24 September 2011.