View source for USS Hartford (SSN-768)

{{short description|Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the US Navy}}
{{other ships|USS Hartford}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= USS Hartford (SSN 768).jpg
|Ship caption=USS Hartford returns to New London after collision with USS New Orleans. Damage to the sail is visible.
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag= {{USN flag}}
|Ship name=USS ''Hartford''
|Ship namesake= The City of [[Hartford, Connecticut]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded= 30 June 1988
|Ship builder= [[General Dynamics Electric Boat]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down= 22 February 1992
|Ship launched= 4 December 1993
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. Laura O'Keefe, wife of former [[Secretary of the Navy]] [[Sean O'Keefe]]
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned= 10 December 1994
|Ship decommissioned=
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|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
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|Ship homeport= [[Naval Submarine Base New London|New London]], [[Connecticut]]
|Ship identification=
|Ship motto="Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead"
|Ship nickname= 
|Ship honors=
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|Ship fate= 
|Ship status={{Ship in active service}}
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge= [[File:USS Hartford SSN-768 Crest.png|150px]]
}}{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=
|Ship class= {{sclass|Los Angeles|submarine}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|6000|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}} light
*{{convert|6927|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} full
*{{convert|6927|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} [[Deadweight tonnage|dead]]
|Ship length={{convert|110.3|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|10|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|9.4|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion={{Los Angeles-class submarine Flight II/III propulsion}}
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|Ship complement=12 officers, 98 men
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
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|Ship armament=4 × {{convert|21|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes
12 × vertical launch [[BGM-109 Tomahawk|Tomahawk]] missiles
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''USS ''Hartford'' (SSN-768)''', a {{sclass|Los Angeles|submarine}}, is the second ship of the Navy to be named for [[Hartford, Connecticut]]. The contract to build her was awarded to the [[Electric Boat]] Division of [[General Dynamics]] Corporation in [[Groton, Connecticut]] on 30 June 1988 and her keel was laid down on 22 February 1992. She was [[ship naming and launching|launched]] on 4 December 1993 sponsored by Laura O'Keefe, wife of former [[Secretary of the Navy]] [[Sean O'Keefe]], and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 10 December 1994, with Commander George Kasten in command.

In October 2007, the submarine successfully launched and recovered an [[Long-Term Mine Reconnaissance System|AN/BLQ-11 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV)]]—the first such operation from a submarine. The vehicle was launched via one of the boat's torpedo tubes and recovered with the help of a 60-foot robotic arm.<ref>{{cite web |first=Norman |last=Friedman |title=Submarines and Their Future |url=http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/submarines-and-their-future/2/ |page=2 |work=Defense Media Network |date=20 December 2012 |access-date=25 January 2013}}</ref>

==In the news==

===2003 grounding in Sardinia===
{{main|USS Hartford grounding}}
On 25 October 2003 ''Hartford'' ran aground near [[La Maddalena]] in [[Sardinia]] with such force that rudders, sonar and other electronic equipment were severely damaged. After the accident Commander Christopher R. Van Metre, captain of ''Hartford'', and Captain Greg Parker, Commodore of Submarine Squadron 22, were relieved of command and sent back to the United States. Six other crewmen were also charged with dereliction of duty.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/nuke_industry/co-operation/31750
 |title       = Italy furious after US Navy tried to cover up sub accident
 |first       = Charles
 |last        = Digges
 |work        = [[Bellona Foundation]]
 |date        = 13 November 2003
 |access-date  = 25 January 2013
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120122113055/http://bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/nuke_industry/co-operation/31750
 |archive-date = 22 January 2012
}}</ref>

===2009 collision in Strait of Hormuz===
{{main|USS Hartford and USS New Orleans collision}}
On 20 March 2009 ''Hartford'' collided with [[amphibious transport dock]] {{USS|New Orleans|LPD-18}} in the [[Strait of Hormuz]], slightly injuring 15&nbsp;sailors on board. Both vessels were able to proceed under their own power after the incident, although the ''New Orleans'' suffered a ruptured fuel tank, releasing 25,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the strait.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2009/046.html |title=Two U.S. Navy Vessels Collide in the Strait of Hormuz |last=Commander |first=US Fifth Fleet |author-link=US Fifth Fleet |date=20 March 2009 |access-date=20 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221234121/http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2009/046.html |archive-date=21 February 2012 }}</ref>

''Hartford'' was escorted back to homeport by destroyer {{USS|Laboon|DDG 58}}. ''Laboon'' was, at the time, attached to [[NATO]] under [[Standing NATO Maritime Group 2]] and was directed to break away and perform escort duties by Sixth Fleet.{{cn|date=June 2022}}

The Navy announced on 14 April 2009 that the submarine's skipper, Commander Ryan Brookhart, had been relieved of duty by Rear Admiral [[Michael J. Connor]] because of a loss of confidence in Brookhart's ability to command.  Brookhart was replaced by Commander Chris Harkins, deputy commander of Submarine Squadron Eight.<ref>Clayton, Cindy, "Commander of Sub That Collided With Ship Is Relieved of Duty", ''[[Norfolk Virginian-Pilot]]'', 15 April 2009.</ref>

A repair contract was awarded to [[General Dynamics]]. Repairs were initially expected to cost $37.4 million and be completed by January 2010.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=9 July 2009|title=General Dynamics gets contract to repair submarine|url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D99B26SG0.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712035954/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D99B26SG0.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 July 2009}}</ref> However, by November 2009, repair costs had already exceeded $100 million.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC|date=19 November 2009|title='Complacency' led to US sub crash|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8367564.stm}}</ref> Final repair cost was $120 million when ''Hartford'' returned to duty in February, 2011<ref>{{cite news |first=Jennifer |last=McDermott |title=Electric Boat gets USS Hartford back to sea |url=http://www.theday.com/article/20110717/NWS09/307179942/1018 |newspaper=[[The Day (New London)|The Day]] |date=17 July 2011 |access-date=22 August 2011}}</ref>

===Modernization===
On 29 July 2022 a $698M contract was awarded to General Dynamics Electric Boat to repair and modernize the ''Hartford''. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/08/general-dynamics-awarded-698-million-contract-modification-for-overhaul-of-uss-hartford/ | title=General Dynamics Awarded $698 million Contract Modification for Overhaul of USS Hartford | date=August 2022 }}</ref>

==Service history==
''Hartford'' took part in [[ICEX: US Navy Mission in Arctic|ICEX 2018]], surfacing through the Arctic ice on 21 March.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dvidshub.net/video/591554/uss-hartford-ssn-768-surfacing-arctic-ocean-icex | title=USS Hartford (SSN 768) Surfacing in the Arctic Ocean for ICEX }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|USS Hartford (SSN-768)}}
* {{hlist|USS ''Hartford'' (SSN-768) command histories – [[Naval History & Heritage Command]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051631/http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/h/ssn-768/1996.pdf 1996]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051638/http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/h/ssn-768/1997.pdf 1997]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105025657/http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/h/ssn-768/1998.pdf 1998]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051702/http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/h/ssn-768/1999.pdf 1999]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051711/http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/h/ssn-768/2000.pdf 2000]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051720/http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/h/ssn-768/2001.pdf 2001]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051727/http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/h/ssn-768/2002.pdf 2002]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051733/http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/h/ssn-768/2004.pdf 2004]
}}

{{Los Angeles class submarines}}
{{2003 shipwrecks}}
{{2009 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartford (SSN-768)}}
[[Category:Ships built in Groton, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Los Angeles-class submarines]]
[[Category:Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:United States submarine accidents]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2003]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2009]]
[[Category:1993 ships]]
[[Category:Submarines of the United States]]