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USS Hampton (SSN-767)

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For other ships with the same name, see USS Hampton.

USS Hampton (SSN-767) seen at the North Pole in April 2004
USS Hampton at the North Pole in April 2004
History
United States
NameUSS Hampton
NamesakeThe cities of Hampton, Virginia; Hampton, Iowa; Hampton, South Carolina; and Hampton, New Hampshire[a]
Awarded6 February 1987
BuilderNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Laid down2 March 1990
Launched3 April 1992
Sponsored byMrs. Laura Bateman
Commissioned6 November 1993
HomeportNaval Base Point Loma
Motto
Statusin active service
NotesRecertified for operations as of December 2007[1]
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%[2][3]
  • 2 × steam turbines (33,500) shp
  • 1 × shaft
  • 1 × secondary propulsion motor 325 hp (242 kW)
Complement12 officers, 98 men
Armament

USS Hampton (SSN-767), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to bear this name. The earlier Hamptons were given their names for varying reasons, but SSN-767 was specifically named for four cities: Hampton, Virginia; Hampton, Iowa; Hampton, South Carolina; and Hampton, New Hampshire.[4][a] There are at least 14 more "Hampton" towns in the United States.

History

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The contract to build the Hampton was awarded to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia (adjacent to the aforementioned Hampton, Virginia) on 6 February 1987, and her keel was laid down on 2 March 1990. She was launched on 3 April 1992, sponsored by Mrs. Laura Bateman, wife of U.S. Representative Herb Bateman,[5] and she was commissioned on 6 November 1993, with Commander David Antanitus in command.

In late April 2004 Hampton along with HMS Tireless (S88) surfaced through the ice together at the North Pole.

In February 2007, Hampton left Naval Station Norfolk for a seven-month Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment. She traveled through the Panama Canal and arrived in Yokosuka, Japan. She completed two missions of national importance, and participated in two major, multinational naval exercises. She made port visits in Apra Harbor, Guam, White Beach, Okinawa, and Brisbane, Australia, as well as a brief stop in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, before arriving in San Diego. She earned the Navy Expeditionary Medal during this time.[6]

On 17 September 2007, the Hampton's homeport was changed from Naval Station Norfolk to Naval Base Point Loma of San Diego, in a change from the Atlantic Fleet to the Pacific Fleet.

Hampton completed a Western Pacific deployment from 17 October 2008 to 17 April 2009. She made port visits to Singapore, Yokosuka, Japan, Saipan, and Apra Harbor, Guam, before returning to home port in San Diego. She participated in the first submarine exercise between the United States and the Singapore Navy.

In 2010 and 2011, the Hampton won the Submarine Squadron 11 Battle Efficiency award. On 15 May 2011, the submarine visited Hong Kong.[7]

From March through October 2014, under the command of Commander Lincoln Reifsteck, Hampton traveled 41,000 nautical miles (47,000 mi; 76,000 km) on deployment while visiting Okinawa, Japan; Yokosuka, Japan; Sasebo, Japan; and Guam.[8]

On 21 November 2024, under the command of Commander Grant Wanier, Hampton arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for "system upgrades and scheduled maintenance work."[9]

Falsified records incident

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In October 2007, six naval personnel were disciplined after they "neither maintained inspection records nor conducted the required inspection of the chemical levels associated with the cooling system" of the nuclear propulsion plant of the Hampton.[10][11] Shortly thereafter, the ship's commanding officer, Commander Michael B. Portland, was relieved of his command due to a loss of confidence in his leadership; at the time, he was not charged with any offense.[1][12]

In March 2008, the US Navy revealed that a total of 11 officers and enlisted men had been disciplined in connection with the fraudulent documentation and for cheating on qualification tests. In addition to the captain, the submarine's engineer officer, the engineering department master chief petty officer, and the entire reactor laboratory division were dismissed from Naval nuclear plant duty and submarine service. No damage was discovered in the reactor core and the submarine returned to operational status.[13]

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Despite wording used by the Navy, of the communities the Hampton is named for, only the one in Virginia is a city, the other three are towns.

References

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  1. ^ a b ABC news report of commanding officer's relief for cause
  2. ^ "International Panel on Fissile Materials". fissilematerials.org. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ Bourque, Branden (November 2024). "USS Hampton (SSN 767) Arrives at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard". navy.mil. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Laura Bateman, U.S. rep's widow, dies". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. 25 February 2008. p. A11. Retrieved 22 November 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "USS Hampton fact sheet" (PDF). navy.mil.[dead link‍]
  7. ^ Barnes, James. "USS Hampton Visits Hong Kong". Navy.mil. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2013 – via Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ "USS Hampton Returns Home from Deployment". navy.mil. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  9. ^ "USS Hampton arrives at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Nuclear sub crew faked inspection records". CNN.com. 22 October 2007. Archived from the original on 4 November 2007 – via Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ "WASHINGTON IN BRIEF". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 – via Wayback Machine.
  12. ^ "Submarine Commander Is Relieved of Duty". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018 – via Wayback Machine.
  13. ^ San Diego Union-Tribune, "11 Officers, Sailors From S.D.-Based Sub Disciplined", 10 March 2008.

Public Domain 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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