USS Augusta (SSN-710)
USS Augusta (SSN-710), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Augusta, Georgia. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 31 October 1973 and her keel was laid down on 1 April 1982. She was launched on 21 January 1984 sponsored by Mrs. Diana D. Cohen, and commissioned on 19 January 1985, with Commander Thomas W. Turner in command. The Soviet Navy claims that on 3 October 1986, Augusta, commanded by James von Suskil, collided with the Navaga (Yankee-I) class ballistic missile submarine K-219 in the eastern Atlantic. The United States Navy states that K-219 was disabled by an internal explosion. Augusta successfully prevented efforts to tow K-219 back to the Soviet Union. On 20 October 1986, shortly after K-219 sank and Augusta had returned to patrol, she collided with something, and was forced to return to Groton for about US$3 million in repairs to her bow and sonar sphere. What she collided with is officially unknown. It is suggested that she had been trailing a Delta-I ballistic missile submarine, and, unknown to Augusta, being trailed in turn by a Victor class submarine. If abrupt maneuvers were made, Augusta could have collided with the Delta. Photographs exist of a Delta submarine with a large dent in its starboard bow, which the Soviet Navy identified as K-279. Von Suskil was relieved of command, never given another command, failed selection to admiral, and retired. Beginning in July 1987, shortly after that repair work completed, Augusta began service as trials boat for the BQG-5D Wide Aperture Array (WAA) passive sonar system and carrying the prototype BQQ-10 ARCI sonars, which incorporate off-the-shelf computer components, allowing easy introduction of modular upgrades. See USS Augusta for other ships of the same name.
References
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register and various press releases.
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