Navy bringing two more Tridents to Bangor

Within the past two years three Trident submarines have transfered from the East Coast to the West Coast and now the Navy has announced two more are on the way.

Two fleet ballistic missile submarines, USS Louisiana and USS Maine, are transferring to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in October 2005.

“We’re happy to have them here at Bangor,” said Capt. Robert Schuetz, commodore of Submarine Squadron 17. “We think its a great place for families to live,” he said.

The two submarines will join the USS Pennsylvania and USS Kentucky which changed homeports to Bangor in 2002. The USS Nebraska is currently making its journey from Kings Bay and is expected to arrive next month.

The homeport shift of the USS Louisiana and USS Maine marks the re-balancing of the nuclear ballistic missile submarine fleet between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to support strategic objectives. The two submarines each have 330 crew members and a payroll of $16 million.

The USS Louisiana will be assigned to Squadron 17 and the USS Maine will be assigned to Squadron 19, which was created in April.

“We try to keep squadrons level loaded,” Schuetz said.

Other fleet ballistic missile submarines homeported at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor include USS Henry M. Jackson, USS Alabama, USS Alaska and USS Nevada.

The USS Louisiana was first commissioned in 1997 and the USS Maine in 1995. Each have 24 torpedo tubes for Trident I and II torpedoes and four torpedo tubes for MK-48 torpedoes.

Four Ohio-class submarines, USS Ohio, USS Florida, USS Michigan, and USS Georgia, originally homeported at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, are to be overhauled and converted from fleet ballistic missile submarines to guided missile submarines (SSGN). These boats will be capable of carrying a payload of up to 154 Tomahawk land attack missiles, and have the additional multi-mission capabilities of anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, mine warfare and information operations.

NBK-Bangor also will be the homeport of the USS Jimmy Carter, a Seawolf-class submarine, in 2005. The most advanced boat in the Navy, it will replace the USS Parche as a test bed for developing technology.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.