USS Pittsburgh (SSN-720), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 16 April 1979 and her keel was laid down on 15 April 1983. She was launched on 8 December 1984 sponsored by Mrs. George Sawyer, and commissioned on 23 November 1985, with Commander Raymond Setser in command.
On 2 April 1991, Pittsburgh and USS Louisville (SSN-724) conducted submarine-launched Tomahawk missile attacks against Iraq.
Pittsburgh departed in October 2002 to deploy in the Mediterranean Sea. There, she again fired Tomahawk missiles into Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She returned from that deployment on 27 April 2003.
See USS Pittsburgh for other ships of the same name.
References
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register and various press releases.
Last updated: 06-02-2005 19:26:40