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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Radio Call Sign: November - Delta - Lima - Hotel

Ray (SSN-653)

Sturgeon Class Attack Submarine: Laid down, 4 January 1965, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport New, VA.: Launched, 21 June 1966; Commissioned, USS Ray (SSN-653), 12 April 1967;

Brief History of the Ray , courtesy of O.D.Carlson STCM(SS), USN(Ret.)
Ray served first in SubRon 6, homeported at Norfolk, Virginia. The first shipyard overhaul took place at the Charleston Naval Shipyard. Ray served the remainder of her career was a unit of SubRon 4 in Charleston.
In over 25 years of commissioned service, Ray successfully completed numerous deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic, Central Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. Many of these deployments were missions of great importance to the safety and security of the United States.
For her actions, Ray was awarded five Navy Unit Commendations and six Meritorious Unit Commendations. When she was inactivated on 24 July 1992, Ray was the most decorated submarine in the Atlantic Fleet.
Decommissioned and simultaneously struck from the Naval Register, 16 March 1993; Final Disposition, to be disposed of through the NPSSRP (Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 3 April 2001.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 3,640 t., Submerged: 4,640 t.; Length 292' 3"; Beam 31' 8"; Draft 28' 8"; Speed, Surfaced 15 kts, Submerged 25 kts; Depth limit 1,300'; Complement 108; Armament, four 21" torpedo tubes amidships aft of bow, MK 48 Torpedoes, UUM-44A SUBROC, UGM-84A/C Harpoon, MK 57 deep water mines, MK 60 CAPTOR mines; Combat Sensors, Radar, BPS-14/15 surface search, Sonars, BQQ-5 multi-function bow mounted, BQR-7 passive in submarines with BQQ-2, BQS-12 active 7, TB-16 or TB-23 towed array, EW Systems, WLQ-4(V), WLR-4(V), WLR-9 ; Propulsion System, one S5W nuclear reactor, two steam turbines, one propeller, 15,000 shp.

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
121k	Ray (SSN-653) launching at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport New, VA., 21 June 1966.	US Navy photo from DANFS, courtesy of Joe Radigan, MACM USN, Ret.
70k	A starboard bow view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine Ray (SSN-653) underway, possibly during her sea trials off the Atlantic coast, 1966-67.	USN photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
107k	Ray (SSN-653) underway, possibly during her sea trials off the Atlantic coast, 1966-67.	Photo courtesy of submarinesailor.com & submitted by Bill Gonyo. Photo added 10/16/07.
16k	Commemorative welcome aboard page for the Ray (SSN-653).	Photo courtesy of Jack Treutle.
97k	Inset of the Ray's (SSN-653) patch and starboard view of the boat underway, possibly taken during her seatrial period off the Virginia coast, circa 1967.	Official US Navy photo courtesy of Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr.
43k	Oil on canvas painting by the artist Jim Christley entitled "Trailing". During the Cold War the US Naval Submarine Force was tasked with keeping tabs on Soviet Naval movements in particular, the Soviet Submarine Force. Submarines of the *Sturgeon Class* were well suited to this task and often trailed Soviet submarines for days reporting on their movements and recording noise signatures. In this image, such a trailing has turned into a close aboard encounter as a Soviet *Viktor III Class* has turned to port to check his baffles (to listen to see if anyone is immediately astern). A trailing *Sturgeon* has stopped his screw and gone quiet. Extending far behind the US submarine is its towed array sonar which assists in giving a clear picture of the ocean’s acoustics	Photo & text courtesy of subart.net.
145k	Submerged submarines in tandem.	U.S. Navy Photo courtesy of Robert Hall.
90k	Sea Devil (SSN-664), Hammerhead (SSN-663) and Ray (SSN-653), three *637 class* subs at pier 22, Norfolk VA., 1975. Sub tender LY Spear (AS-36) is on the starboard side of the Sea Devil.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
77k	Ray (SSN-653) in New London c. 1979.	Courtesy of Regis Weber.
327k	The expanse of endless waste seems to engulf the Ray (SSN-653), Hawkbill (SSN-666), and & Archerfish (SSN-678) together at the North Pole, 6 May 1986 during ICEX 86.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # DN-SC-86-07410, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.
441k	An elevated view of the attack submarines Ray (SSN-653), Hawkbill (SSN-666), and & Archerfish (SSN-678) surfaced at the geographic North Pole, 6 May 1986 during ICEX 86. This is the first time three nuclear-powered submarines have simultaneously surfaced at the pole.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # DN-SC-86-07408, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.
503k	A port bow view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine Ray (SSN-653) underway near Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia on 1 Feb 1991.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # DN-ST-91-05698 by PH1 C.A. Komperda, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil & submitted by Bill Gonyo.
215k	24 July 1992, the day of Ray's (SSN-653) inactivation, at the Charleston Naval Station, S.C.	Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
27k	From left to right, Drum (SSN-677), Bluefish (SSN-675), Ray (SSN-653), Lapon (SSN-661) and Richard B. Russell (SSN-687) await scrapping at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 8 October 2001.	Courtesy of Don Sheldon.
95k	Commemorative envelope from the Ray (SSN-653) on the occasion of her entering Drydock # 3 at Puget Sound Naval Yard for scrapping, 2 October 2002.	Courtesy Tom A.
40k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Ray (SSN-653) finishing the NPSSRP (Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program), July 30, 2003.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
58k	Plaque of the Ray (SSN-653) on display at the Naval and Maritime Museum at Patriots Point, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.	Courtesy of Robert Hall.