USS Boise (SSN-764)

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

USS Boise (SSN-764), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Boise, Idaho. 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 25 August 1988. She was launched on 23 March 1991, and commissioned on 7 November 1992.

USS Boise underway
History
United States
Name	USS Boise
Namesake	The City of Boise, Idaho
Awarded	6 February 1987
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Laid down	25 August 1988
Launched	23 March 1991
Commissioned	7 November 1992
In service	in dry dock for repairs
Homeport	Norfolk, Virginia
Motto	A One Ship Fleet
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Los 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
Length	110.3 m (361 ft 11 in)
Beam	10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draft	9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	1 × S6G PWR nuclear reactor with D2W core (165 MW), HEU 93.5%[1][2] 2 × steam turbines (33,500) shp 1 × shaft 1 × secondary propulsion motor 325 hp (242 kW)
Speed	Surfaced:20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) Submerged: +20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) (official)
Complement	13 officers, 121 Enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	BQQ-5 passive sonar, BQS-15 detecting and ranging sonar, WLR-8 fire control radar receiver, WLR-9 acoustic receiver for detection of active search sonar and acoustic homing torpedoes, BRD-7 radio direction finder
Armament	4 × 21-inch (533 mm) bow tubes, 10 Mk48 ADCAP torpedo reloads, Tomahawk land attack missile block 3 SLCM range 1,700 nautical miles (3,100 km), Harpoon anti–surface ship missile range 70 nautical miles (130 km), mine laying Mk67 mobile Mk60 captor mines

Service history

During a Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) carried out in 1999, Boise was reported "sunk" by Dutch diesel-electric powered submarine HNLMS Walrus. In the same exercise Walrus reportedly also took down eight other allied vessels, including the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Mount Whitney, flagship of the United States Sixth Fleet.

In 2002 Boise was assigned to the John F. Kennedy carrier strike group when the group took part in Operation Enduring Freedom.

In March 2003, Boise delivered some of the opening shots of Operation Iraqi Freedom when she launched a full load of Tomahawk missiles in support of the initial invasion. The ship and crew were later awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for their distinguished service in action.

In February 2017, Boise was no longer dive-certified as was awaiting scheduled maintenance at Norfolk. Due to congestion and delays in Navy shipyards, it was planned that Boise would receive maintenance at a private shipyard during Fiscal Year 2019. However, due to unforeseen delays she only entered drydock in early 2021. If she returns to service as scheduled in 2023, there would have been an eight-year pause between her patrols.^[3]

The long wait has been attributed to a ten year lapse in capabilities and logistic setbacks discovered during the retrofit and restoration work done on submarines Helena and Columbus.^[4]