18-731: USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636) , a James Madison -class fleet ballistic missile submarine , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Major General Nathanael Greene (1746–1786), who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . Nathanael Greene ' s keel was laid down on 21 May 1962 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery , Maine . The construction of
36-744: A combination of SALT II treaty limitations as the Ohio -class SSBNs entered service, age, and the collapse of the Soviet Union . One ( Sam Rayburn ) remains out of commission but converted to a Moored Training Ship (MTS-635) with the missile compartment removed. She is stationed at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia for inactivation. Submarines of the James Madison class: (Submarines marked with * indicate Trident I C-4 ballistic missile conversions.) 41 for Freedom 41 for Freedom refers to
54-744: The Lafayette class of fleet ballistic missile submarine . They were identical to the Lafayette s except for being initially designed to carry the Polaris A-3 missile instead of the earlier A-2. This class, together with the George Washington , Ethan Allen , Lafayette , and Benjamin Franklin classes, composed the " 41 for Freedom " that was the Navy's primary contribution to the nuclear deterrent force through
72-573: The Irish Sea , suffering severe damage to her rudder and ballast tanks . Her grounding was a serious accident involving a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. She was deactivated while still in commission in May 1987. Her early deactivation was decided both as a result of the damage sustained in the accident as well as in accordance with the limitations set by the SALT II treaty. Nathanael Greene
90-573: The SSM-N-8 Regulus cruise missile . However, this was intended to act merely as a stop-gap, as the Regulus was limited both by its size – the greatest number of missiles capable of being taken to sea was five aboard USS Halibut – range and speed, as well as the fact that the submarine was required to surface to launch a missile. The intention was that the main element of the US Navy's contribution to
108-517: The US Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines from the George Washington , Ethan Allen , Lafayette , James Madison , and Benjamin Franklin classes . All of these submarines were commissioned 1959–1967, as the goal was to create a credible, survivable sea-based deterrent as quickly as possible. These submarines were nicknamed "41 for Freedom" once the goal of 41 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs)
126-433: The "41 for Freedom" submarines to be completed was USS George Washington , which was commissioned on 30 December 1959. The final boat to enter service was USS Will Rogers , which was commissioned on 1 April 1967. The 41 submarines were ultimately superseded in service by the Ohio class , the first of which was commissioned in 1981. USS Kamehameha , operating as a SEAL platform in her later years,
144-520: The Greene proceeded to Cape Canaveral for a test missile launch. In March 1972 the Greene departed for her first deterrent patrol following conversion ending up in Holy Loch, Scotland. On January 29, 1970, while making a surface run into port in thick fog, Nathanael Greene ran aground in about 16 feet of water. She was refloated after about 7 hours. On August 11, 1984, Nathanael Greene lost her propeller in
162-502: The Irish Sea. While proceeding back to Holy Loch at about 3 knots using her secondary propulsion motor, a transit of about 5 or 6 days, she was redirected to Her Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde at Faslane as the U.S. dry dock in Holy Loch was fully committed and unavailable, while Admiralty Floating Dock No. 60 at Faslane was available. While in the Faslane dry dock, a fire occurred in one of
180-518: The dock's enclosed machinery spaces on 18 August 1984. The fire was quickly extinguished and did not affect the Greene. While in dry dock, it was established that the main shaft had broken with the loss of about a third of its length along with the propeller. Repairs were completed in about 12 days with the Nathanael Green undocked on 3 September 1984. On 13 March 1986 Nathanael Greene ran aground in
198-700: The late 1980s. This class and the Benjamin Franklin class are combined with the Lafayette s in some references. In the early 1970s all were modified for the Poseidon C-3 missile. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, six boats were further modified to carry the Trident I C-4 missile, along with six Benjamin Franklin -class boats. These were James Madison , Daniel Boone , John C. Calhoun , Von Steuben , Casimir Pulaski , and Stonewall Jackson . The James Madison s were decommissioned between 1986 and 1995 due to
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#1732913883139216-546: The ship was supervised by Commander Lawrence Dennis Ballou. She was launched on 12 May 1964, sponsored by Mrs. Neander W. Wade, a descendant of Nathanael Greene, and commissioned on 19 December 1964 with Commander Robert E. Crispin in command of the Blue Crew and Commander William M. Cossaboom in command of the Gold Crew. Nathanael Greene departed Portsmouth for shakedown on 30 December 1964, with her Gold Crew embarked; it
234-554: The strategic nuclear deterrent be a ballistic missile armed submarine. The "41 for Freedom" nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) were armed with submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) to create a deterrent force against the threat of nuclear war with any foreign power threatening the United States during the Cold War . The US Navy created a new submarine classification for these boats: SSBN. The first of
252-544: Was decommissioned on 15 December 1986 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 31 January 1987. Her removal from service allowed the United States to comply easily with the ballistic missile limits of the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty. Nathanael Greene entered the U.S. Navy's Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton , Washington , on 1 September 1998. Her scrapping
270-475: Was completed on 20 October 2000. Nathanael Greene ' s sail has been restored and is now on display in Port Canaveral , Florida as a memorial to the original 41 for Freedom fleet ballistic missile submarines. ^a The other two ships are named USS General Greene . James Madison-class submarine The James Madison class of submarine was an evolutionary development from
288-528: Was decommissioned on 2 April 2002, the last boat of the original "41 for Freedom" submarines in commission, and the oldest submarine in the US Navy. Almost 37 years old, she held the record for the longest service lifetime of any nuclear-powered submarine. As of 2014, two boats, USS Daniel Webster and USS Sam Rayburn , though decommissioned, continue to serve as moored training ships , attached to Naval Nuclear Power School at Charleston , South Carolina . * Preserved as training vessels From
306-423: Was established in the early 1960s. The 1972 SALT I Treaty limited the number of American submarine-launched ballistic missile tubes to 656, based on the total missile tubes of the forty-one submarines, in line with the treaty's goal of limiting strategic nuclear weapons to the number already existing. The United States had deployed nuclear weapons aboard submarines for the purpose of deterrence since 1959, using
324-473: Was relieved on 1 February 1965 by the Blue Crew. Her shakedown period was followed by repairs and alterations at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, after which the submarine, with her Blue Crew embarked, departed the shipyard for ballistic missile loading and her initial Polaris missile deterrent patrol. In 1970-1971 Nathanael Greene was refueled and received its conversion to launch Poseidon missiles at Newport News Shipbuilding. Following Yard period and Shakedown,
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