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Uss Ray (Ssn-653) | style="text-align: center" colspan="2"| | | tyle="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| USN Jack | style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| Career | | rdered: | 26 March 1963 | | aid down: | 4 January 1965 | | aunched: | 21 June 1966 | | ommissioned: | 12 April 1967 | | ecommissioned: | 16 March 1993 | | ate: | submarine recycling | | tricken: | 16 March 1993 | | olspan=2 align="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"|General Characteristics | | isplacement: | 3950 tons light, tons full | | ength: | 89 meters (292 feet) | | ropulsion: | S5W reactor | | rmament: | | | otto: | USS Ray (SSN-653), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ray, a fish characterized by a flat body, large pectoral fins, and a whiplike tail. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 26 March 1963 and her keel was laid down on 4 January 1965. She was launched on 21 June 1966 sponsored by Mrs. Thomas H. Kuchel, and commissioned on 12 April 1967, with Commander Albert L. Kelin in command. Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, Ray underwent shakedown training, weapons and sonar testing until 16 October 1967, when she deployed on Atlantic submarine operations until 12 December. In 1968 Ray again deployed on submarine operations from 8 April to 9 June and from 13 November to 20 December. She spent the first five months of 1969 in submarine type training and fleet exercises off the East Coast and in the Caribbean Sea. SSN-653 departed Norfolk on 6 June on a special operation before sailing for Scotland, arriving at Holy Loch on 26 June. She departed Scotland on 31 July, and returned to Norfolk on 12 August. For the remainder of the year, and into 1970, Ray trained in the Atlantic with other units of the fleet. Ray spent most of 1970 operating in the Atlantic out of Norfolk. Her operations were concentrated primarily upon training and testing. In December 1970, she entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a 14-month overhaul period. She steamed out of Norfolk on 5 March 1972 and engaged in various tests and exercises, notably two NATO exercises, "Strong Express" and "Escort Deep", during the remainder of 1972. Returning to Norfolk on 12 December, Ray’s crewmen were able to spend the holidays in home port. She departed Norfolk in late February 1973 for a Mediterranean Sea cruise which lasted until mid-summer, at which time she returned to Norfolk and normal Atlantic operations. - 3½ years of history go here.
On 20 September 1977, due to a combination of equipment failure and crew inexperience, Ray struck a coral mountain while submerged in the Mediterranean Sea. Her sonar equipment was destroyed and the auxiliary diesel engine was knocked off its mounts. Repairs required a year of work at Charleston Naval Shipyard in South Carolina. - 15½ years of history go here.
Ray was decommissioned on 16 March 1993 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 16 March 1993. Ex-Ray entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, on 15 March 2002 and on 30 July 2003 ceased to exist. See USS Ray for other ships of the same name. References Ray 653
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