USS Olympia (SSN 717) Arrives in Bremerton for Decommissioning

BREMERTON, WA, UNITED STATES

10.29.2019

Courtesy Story

Commander, Submarine Group Nine   

BREMERTON, Wash. (Oct. , 2019) The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Olympia (SSN 717) arrived at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton to commence the inactivation and decommissioning process, Oct 29.

Under the command of Cmdr. Benjamin Selph, the submarine departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a final homeport change.

“We are happy to bring Olympia back to Washington, so that we can continue to build and foster the relationships that have been around since her commissioning,” said Selph. “The city loves the ship and the ship loves the city, I am glad we have such amazing support as we bid this incredible submarine farewell.”

Olympia completed a seven-month around-the-world deployment, in support of operations vital to national security, Sept. 8.

The submarine's ability to support a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, made Olympia one of the most capable submarines in the world.

During the inactivation process, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility will de-fuel the submarine, with the hull retained in safe storage until decommissioning.

The Navy has three classes of fast-attack submarines. Los Angeles-class submarines make up the majority of the submarine force, with nearly 40 in commission. As the Los Angeles-class reaches the end of their operational life, the Navy is slowly decommissioning the submarines to make room for the next generation of submarines, the Virginia-class.

Currently, there are 16 active Virginia-class submarines, armed with several innovations that have significantly enhanced its warfighting capabilities. The third class of fast-attack submarines is the Seawolf-class. These faster and quieter submarines were developed towards the end of the Cold War with three currently in service.

Commissioned November 17, 1984, Olympia is the second U.S. Navy vessel to be named for the city of Olympia, Washington. The boat's mission is to seek out and destroy enemy ships and submarines and to protect U.S. national interests. At 360-feet-long and 6,900 tons, Olympia can be armed with sophisticated MK48 advanced capability torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

For more news from the Pacific Submarine Force, visit www.csp.navy.mil.

• Date Taken: 10.29.2019
• Date Posted: 10.29.2019 20:54
• Story ID: 349801
• Location: BREMERTON, WA, US
• Hometown: OLYMPIA, WA, US