In the words of Forest Gump...

"That's my boat!"

For those of you who are wondering... I was on the SSBN 743, USS Louisiana. It is one of the "boomer" subs that are made to carry trident missiles. It's purpose is nuclear deterrence. With 24 missile tubes, we could do some serious damage if need be. We carried some MK-48 torpedoes, but they were for defense of our sub only if we were ever attacked. My homeport was in Kings Bay, GA, but the 743 has since moved to the west coast to Bangor, WA. Some statistics on the USS Louisiana (No I won't tell you how deep it can go!):

USS LOUISIANA is the fourth U.S. Naval vessel to be named in honor of the eighteenth state admitted into the union, and eighteenth and last Trident Submarine to be commissioned.


General Characteristics:

Keel Laid: December 19, 1990

Launched: July 27, 1996

Commissioned: September 6, 1997

Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division, Groton, Conn.

Propulsion system: one nuclear reactor

Propellers: one

Length: 560 feet (171 meters)

Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters)

Draft: 36,5 feet (11.1 meters)

Displacement:
Surfaced: approx. 16,765 tons
Submerged: approx. 18,750 tons

Speed: 20+ knots

Armament: 24 tubes for Trident I and II, Mk-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes

Crew: 17 Officers, 15 Chief Petty Officers and 122 Enlisted (2 crews)