USS Alexandria (SSN-757)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Alexandria.

USS Alexandria (SSN-757), is a Los Angeles class nuclear-powered attack submarine and the third vessel of the United States Navy to be named for both Alexandria, Virginia, and Alexandria, Louisiana.^[2] The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation on 26 November 1984. Her keel was laid down in Groton, Connecticut, on 19 June 1987.^[11] She was launched on 23 June 1990, sponsored by Mrs. Myrtle "Tookie" Clark, wife of Vice Admiral Glenwood Clark (ret.), and commissioned on 29 June 1991.^[1] Alexandria was placed in service on 22 March 1991. A series of sea trials began 16 April and were completed 4 June.^[1]

USS Alexandria (SSN-757)
History
United States
Name	USS Alexandria
Namesake	Alexandria, Virginia, and Alexandria, Louisiana
Awarded	26 November 1984
Builder	General Dynamics Electric Boat
Laid down	19 June 1987
Launched	23 June 1990
Sponsored by	Mrs. Myrtle "Tookie" Clark[1]
Acquired	13 June 1991
Commissioned	29 June 1991
Homeport	Naval Base Point Loma
Motto	Twice as Strong[2]
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	Los Angeles-class submarine
Displacement	Surfaced: 6,082 tons Submerged: 6,927.57 tons
Length	362 ft (110 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draft	31 ft (9 m)
Propulsion	1 × S6G PWR nuclear reactor with D2W core (165 MW), HEU 93.5%[3][4] 2 × steam turbines (33,500) shp 1 × shaft 1 × secondary propulsion motor 325 hp (242 kW)
Speed	Surfaced: 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)+ Submerged: 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)+ (official)[5] 33 kn (61 km/h; 38 mph)+ (reported)[6][7]
Range	Refueling required after 30 years[8]
Test depth	Greater than 757 ft (231 m)[2]
Complement	16 officers, 127 enlisted[9]
Sensors & processing systems	BQQ-10 passive sonar, BQS-15 detecting and ranging sonar, WLR-8 fire control radar receiver, WLR-9 acoustic receiver for detection of active search sonar and acoustic homing torpedoes, BRD-7 radio direction finder[10]
Electronic warfare & decoys	WLR-10 countermeasures set[10]
Armament	4 21 in (533 mm) bow tubes, 10 Mk48 ADCAP torpedo reloads, Tomahawk land attack missile block 3 SLCM range 1,700 nmi (3,148 km; 1,956 mi), Harpoon anti–surface ship missile range 70 nmi (130 km; 81 mi), mine laying Mk67 mobile mine & Mk60 captor mines
Notes	The third ship of the United States Navy to be named for both Alexandria, Virginia, and Alexandria, Louisiana

Service history

Alexandria, together with the guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG-63), guided-missile frigate USS Gary (FFG-51), and P-3C Orion maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, participated in Exercise Malabar 2004, a training exercise with the Indian Navy off the southwest coast of India that ended on 11 October 2004.

In March 2007 Alexandria was participating in the joint U.S. Navy/Royal Navy Ice Exercise 2007 (ICEX-2007), conducted in the Arctic Ocean with the Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Tireless (S88). The exercise took place on and under a drifting ice floe, about 180 nmi (330 km; 210 mi) off the north coast of Alaska. The two submarines were taking part in joint testing of submarine operability and tactical development in Arctic waters. On 21 March 2007, Tireless experienced an explosion of a self-contained oxygen generation candle, she suffered only superficial damage, but two crew members were killed and one injured.^[12]

Film set

Some scenes for the movie Stargate: Continuum were filmed on board Alexandria. The then-captain of Alexandria, Commander Mike Bernacchi, and members of his crew played themselves. The ship was also used as a filming location for the JAG and NCIS TV series, although she was referred to there as the fictional USS Cathedral City.^[13]

• 
  Alexandria submerged after surfacing through 2 ft (60 cm) of ice during ICEX-07, a joint U.S. Navy/Royal Navy exercise.
• 
  Alexandria returns home to New London, CT.