USS Boise Launches Tomahawks
{Intel Source: The Sub Report] USS Boise (SSN 764) is in the news, and since I'm "Idaho's first and foremost submarine blogger", I would be remiss in not mentioning it:
"5,4,3,2,1....ITL (intent to launch) ... missile broach .... booster separation .... transition to cruise." With that report, a Navy Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile was launched for the first time from the torpedo tube of the attack submarine USS Boise (SSN-764), under way in the Gulf of Mexico test range operating areas. In a second test event that same week, BOISE also launched a Tomahawk Block III missile.
"Under the command of Cmdr. Rodney A. Mills, Boise executed a flawless strike plan and countdown resulting in the successful launch. Boise, the first U.S attack submarine to receive the commercial-off-the-shelf based, combat control system designated AN/BYG-1, just recently completed a 10-month installation period consisting of depot and pier-side modernization. In preparation for the launches, the ship's operational tempo increased significantly to further train with the system, perform at-sea alignment testing with missile simulators and complete a successful Basic Submarine Assessment/Tomahawk certification."
Good job, guys...
7 Comments:
Just wondering why they launched from the torpedo tube. I thought all the 688's had vertical launch tubes.
4/07/2006 7:40 PM
While on board the USS Baton Rouge (SSN 689) back in 92 or 93 a non explosive Tomahawk test was conducted. The missile was shot over a military area in Maine.Of course that was out of the torpedo tube.
Only a handful of the crew hand anything to due with the firing of this missle, lets say about 40 tops. So this exercise ended up having nearly 90 submarinars ( off watch) up for nothing. They just sat in thier department spaces and many in the galley. We had been out for nearly two weeks. Everyone felt this was a waste of time for the entire crew to be up for this exercise. Great Captain we had, but I do not know what he was thinking in this case. We were very upset and angry.
4/09/2006 7:59 AM
"Gulf of Mexico"? Do they mean the Autec range down at the "tongue of the ocean"?
4/11/2006 5:45 AM
The USS Guitarro was one of the first boats testing the Tomahawk in the late 70's. We spent nearly 2 years working with Defense contractors to get the system working. It was boring duty but mostly weekly ops. so that made it a little more palitable.
4/17/2006 1:25 PM
i wonder how can a large cruise misile like tomahawk can fir into a torpedo tube and then how can they ensure its protection from water leakages . is it in some sort of cover or capsule
thanks
4/28/2008 10:05 AM
I was on Newport News (SSN 750) and we also launched Tomahawks during that operation and the real reason missles were launched from the torpedo tubes was we (and I'm sure the Boise as well) were shooting more than 12 missles. There is no at sea reload capibility for VLS. So after those were shot it was time to empty the room.
5/31/2008 6:25 PM
Thank you for this post, really effective piece of writing.
11/24/2011 11:07 AM
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