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Official U.S. Navy file photo of USS Seawolf (SSN 21). |
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Seawolf Skipper Describes First Deployment of Navy's Newest Sub Class
Story Number: NNS020424-05
Release Date: 4/24/2002 11:06:00 AM
By Chief Journalist Michael Foutch, Submarine Warfare Division Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The skipper of the Navy's most advanced undersea war fighting platform, USS Seawolf (SSN 21), told an audience of submarine community supporters how his ship's inaugural deployment performance set a "solid demonstration for any class of submarine for years to come."
Cmdr. Butch Howard, the commanding officer of Seawolf, spoke at the spring luncheon meeting of the Naval Submarine League's Washington chapter April 17 at Fort Myer, Va. The 20-year Navy veteran and graduate of Auburn University led Seawolf on a six-month, 33,200-mile deployment concluding with its return in December to its homeport of New London, Conn.
Designed to be world's quietest submarine, Seawolf is reportedly less detectable at high speed than a Los Angeles-class submarine is while sitting at the pier. Advanced weaponry and new tactical capability and communications combined with an increased weapons load of Mark 48 anti-submarine torpedoes, Harpoon missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles allow Seawolf to operate from under arctic ice to shallow water close to shore. A special addition, Howard noted, was the computer-driven, autopilot helm allowing the ship to cruise at a level depth in some cases better than the helmsman. "This thing is a Ferrari," he said.
Following a six-month period of what Howard described as depot-level repairs, Seawolf deployed in June with a relatively inexperienced crew; 11 of his 14 officers and 65 percent of the enlisted Sailors would deploy for the first time in their careers on what would prove to be a multi-theater and multi-mission assignment.
The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 sent the submarine from its independent mission steaming in the Northern Atlantic within 48 hours to the Straits of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean to join the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) battle group. Because of the circumstances of submarine operations, "we didn't' hear details of the attacks until days later, and we didn't' see the actual news coverage for weeks later," Howard said. Crew emotions, he added, "were all over the map, but at least we were in a good position to do something about the attacks."
During preparations for Operation Enduring Freedom, Seawolf played a role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercise Destined Glory 2001. The ship enjoyed a chance to test its stealth abilities against a Spanish submarine, closing to extremely close range before the ship "lit up sonar to let them know where we were."
Seawolf met up with the tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) to trade the submarine's torpedo payload for cruise missiles and set off to use its exceptional speed and stealth capability to support the war on terrorism.
Howard was proud of the fact that Seawolf sent out fewer casualty reports during its first deployment than "the average boat on the waterfront. Importantly, the skipper explained that the crew used commercial-off-the-shelf equipment, the core of the submarine force's modernization plan, and based on needs discovered during its deployment, will help determine maintenance needs for the other two Seawolf-class submarines to help the Navy stock repair parts.
Hosting the event is one way the Naval Submarine League promotes the importance of submarines to national security and serves as an independent authority on undersea warfare to the public and influential opinion-leaders.
For information on the USS Seawolf (SSN 21) go to http://www.seawolf-ssn575.com/.
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