USS San Juan (SSN-751)

USS San Juan (SSN-751), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named San Juan, though only the second named for San Juan, Puerto Rico. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 30 November 1982 and her keel was laid down on 9 August 1985. She was launched on 6 December 1986 sponsored by Mrs. Sherrill Hernandez, wife of VADM Diego E. Hernández,[2] and commissioned on 6 August 1988.

For other ships with the same name, see USS San Juan.

USS San Juan (SSN-751)
USS San Juan in Groton, Connecticutian waters in April 2003.
History
United States
Name: USS San Juan
Namesake: The City of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Awarded: 30 November 1982
Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat
Laid down: 9 August 1985
Launched: 6 December 1986
Sponsored by: Mrs. Sherrill Hernandez
Commissioned: 6 August 1988
Homeport: Groton, Connecticut
Identification:
Motto: Technology and Tradition
Status: in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Los Angeles-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 5,790 long tons (5,883 t) light
  • 6,197 long tons (6,296 t) full
  • 407 long tons (414 t) dead
Length: 110.3 m (361 ft 11 in)
Beam: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draft: 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Installed power: nuclear
Propulsion: S6G nuclear reactor
Speed: Classified
Complement: 12 officers, 98 men
Sensors and
processing systems:		 BSY-1 sonar suite combat system
Armament:
  • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 12 × vertical launch Tomahawk missiles

During the early evening of March 13, 2007, units of the USS Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (CSG) received a series of indications that USS San Juan (SSN-751), a Los Angeles-class submarine conducting pre-deployment training with the Enterprise CSG, was in distress.[3]

Fortunately, the submarine established communications in the early morning hours of March 14, and indicated that there were no problems; hence, units were able to stand down from the search and rescue that was already well underway.[3]

History

San Juan was the first of the Flight III or 688i for "improved" design, that received a number of significant improvements to the previous boats in the class. San Juan and all subsequent boats in her class are quieter and incorporate an advanced AN/BSY-1 sonar suite combat system. Another improvement includes the ability to lay mines from their torpedo tubes. San Juan's sail was also strengthened, enabling the ability to break through ice.[4]

USS San Juan through-ice surface

First through ice surfacing

In 1993 San Juan conducted the first through-ice surfacing for a 688i-class submarine in the Arctic.[5]

Collision with USS Kentucky

On 19 March 1998 off the coast of Long Island, New York, the submerged San Juan collided with the surfaced fleet ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky (SSBN-737). There were no injuries reported as a result of the collision.[6]

Arriving Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, May 2007

Lost communication

On 13 March 2007, San Juan was the subject of a search and rescue mission by elements of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group when a red flare was spotted in her projected vicinity, suggesting an emergency. Communications were established by the early hours of the next day when San Juan surfaced, and no problems were indicated.[7]

Visit to South Africa

On 4 November 2009 San Juan arrived at Simon's Town, South Africa. The ship engaged in at-sea maneuvers with the South African Navy for the first time in U.S. history.[8]

2010 overhaul
San Juan undocking at PNSY, 2011

San Juan arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY), Maine, on 8 April 2010 for an engineered overhaul (EOH); for maintenance and system upgrades.[9]

As of 2012 San Juan was assigned to Submarine Group Two. Submarine Group Two was disestablished in 2014, and San Juan became part of Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMSUBLANT).

Awards

References
  1. NVR.Navy.mil: USS San Juan, Retrieved 12 February 2012
  2. "USS San Juan (SSN-751)". seaforces.org. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  3. Affairs, This story was written by Commander, Submarine Force U. S. Atlantic Fleet Public. "SUBLANT Statement Regarding USS San Juan and Missing Submarine Procedures". www.navy.mil. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  4. "USS San Juan arrives at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard". seacoastonline.com. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  5. "Arctic Submarine Laboratory Historical Timeline". US Navy. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  6. "2 U.S. submarines collide off Long Island". CNN. 19 March 1998. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  7. "Billion-Dollar U.S. Sub Disappears Overnight for Several Hours". ABC News. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
  8. "San Juan Makes Historic Visit to South Africa". US Navy.
  9. Navy.mil: USS San Juan Arrives at PNSY for Overhaul, retrieved 12 February 2012
  10. "Unit Awards for San Juan SSN 751". US Navy. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  11. "USS San Juan Receives Battle 'E'". US Navy. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  12. "CSS-12 Commodore presents USS San Juan (SSN-751) with Battle E". US Navy. Retrieved 19 January 2017.


This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
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