USS Charlotte (SSN-766)
Charlotte carrying an Advanced SEAL Delivery System minisub off the coast of Oahu | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | USS Charlotte |
| Namesake | The city of Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Awarded | 6 February 1987 |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company |
| Laid down | 17 August 1990 |
| Launched | 3 October 1992 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. Mary McCormack |
| Commissioned | 16 September 1994 |
| Home port | Naval Station Pearl Harbor |
| Motto | Silent Stinger |
| Status | In active service |
| Badge | |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Los Angeles-class submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 110.3 m (361 ft 11 in) |
| Beam | 10 m (32 ft 10 in) |
| Draft | 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion | |
| Complement | 12 officers, 98 men |
| Armament |
|
USS Charlotte (SSN-766), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 17 August 1990. Sponsored by Mrs. Mary McComack, she was launched on 3 October 1992 and commissioned on 16 September 1994. She arrived at her homeport of Naval Station Pearl Harbor on 17 November 1995.[3]
On March 4, 2026, during the 2026 Iran war the Charlotte engaged and sank the IRIS Dena, becoming the first US naval vessel to sink an enemy vessel with a torpedo since the Pacific theater of World War II, and the second nuclear submarine to do so in history.[4][5]
History
On 29 November 2005, Charlotte arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, having taken the northern route from Pearl Harbor, under the Arctic ice cap. Along the way, she surfaced at the North Pole through 61 inches of ice, a record for a Los Angeles-class submarine.[6]
On 24 October 2007, Charlotte returned to Pearl Harbor from Norfolk Naval Shipyard after nearly two years in a Depot Modernization Period.[7]
Charlotte has completed a total of five Western Pacific deployments.[8][9][10][11][12] In February 1998, she was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of a multinational military buildup of naval, air, and land forces that included more than 30 American warships and two carrier battle groups.[8] Charlotte and the other American and British warships were deployed as a deterrent in case Iraqi President Saddam Hussein failed to honor his commitment to the United Nations to allow arms inspectors into Iraq.[13] She completed a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific on 13 May 2016.[12]
Charlotte participated in RIMPAC 2022.[14]
2026 Iran War
While carrying three Australian submariners, Charlotte sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka during the March 2026 Iran war.[4] In doing so, she became the first U.S. Navy submarine to sink an enemy vessel in combat since the Pacific theater of World War II and the second-ever nuclear submarine to sink an enemy vessel.[5]
Awards
- (3) Meritorious Unit Commendation
- (2) Battle "E"
- (2) Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
- (2) Navy Unit Commendation
- (1) Engineering "E"
- (1) DC Red
See also
References
- ^ "International Panel on Fissile Materials". fissilematerials.org. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Rodgers, Justin (6 January 2016). "USS Charlotte Visits Sasebo During Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment". Submarine Force Pacific. U.S. Navy. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ a b LaPorta, James; Watson, Eleanor (5 March 2026). "Torpedo that struck Iranian warship was fired by USS Charlotte, U.S. officials say". CBS News. Archived from the original on 5 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ a b Lendon, Brad (5 March 2026). "In torpedoing an enemy warship, the US Navy just did something it hasn't done in eight decades". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ Dave Ozeck, Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Public Affairs. "USS Charlotte Achieves Milestone During Under-Ice Transit". Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Cynthia Clark (25 October 2007). "USS Charlotte Returns to Pearl Harbor". Archived from the original on 28 October 2007.
- ^ a b "U.S. Strength in the Persian Gulf". The Washington Post. 24 February 1998. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ Cooke, Steven (27 May 2004). 040527-N-1995C-043 (photograph). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ Gutridge, Ronald (1 June 2011). "USS Charlotte Returns from Western Pacific Deployment". Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Archived from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ Swink, Jason (3 October 2013). "USS Charlotte Returns to Pearl Harbor". America's Navy. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ a b "USS Charlotte returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam". Navaltoday.com. 16 May 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ McIntyre, Jamie (24 February 1998). "U.S. keeping troops in Gulf, just in case". CNN. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ "USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Aug. 1, 2022". news.usni.org. 1 August 2022. Archived from the original on 14 January 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
This article includes information collected from the public domain sources Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and Naval Vessel Register.