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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive


Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski
Radio Call Sign: November - Delta - Foxtrot - Yankee

Sand Lance (SSN-660)

Sturgeon Class Attack Submarine: Laid down, 28 October 1967, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 11 November 1969; Commissioned, USS Sand Lance (SSN-660), 25 September 1971; Decommissioned and simultaneously struck from the Naval Register, 7 August 1998; Final Disposition, to be disposed of through NPSSRP (Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA.

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.
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For Full Size		SizeImage DescriptionContributed By
Sand Lance36kSand Lance (SSN-660) was sponsored by Mrs. Thomas J. McIntyre, wife of the Democratic Senator from New Hampshire.Photo courtesy of wikimedia.org
Sand Lance82kSand Lance (SSN-660), on building ways at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME., 27 September 1969.Courtesy of USN.
Sand Lance313kStern view of the Sand Lance (SSN-660) on building ways at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME., ready for launching on 11 November 1969.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sand Lance172kStarboard bow view of the Sand Lance (SSN-660) on building ways at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME., ready for launching on 11 November 1969.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sand Lance177kBow view of the Sand Lance (SSN-660) on building ways at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME., ready for launching on 11 November 1969.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sand Lance425kSand Lance (SSN-660) meets the water with a big splash that sends some too close on lookers to seek some distance on 11 November 1969.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sand Lance164kLots of bunting envelops Sand Lance (SSN-660) on her launching as tugs await to tow her to the dock.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sand Lance1.22kTwenty two page Welcome Aboard PDF of the Sand Lance (SSN-660). USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sand Lance108kSand Lance (SSN-660) underway, possibly during her sea trials off the coast of New England, circa 1970-71.Official USN photo courtesy of Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr.
Sand Lance375kSand Lance (SSN-660) at southern moorings, circa 1970.Photo courtesy of Lowcountry Digital Library
Sturgeon Class43k 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.
Submerged submarines145kSubmerged submarines in tandem.USN photo courtesy of Robert Hall.
Sand Lance192kCaptain Michael C. Covell was the commanding officer from 1977 to 1981. USN photo # DN-SC-85-07621 courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
Sand Lance158kCaptain Hugh M. Doherty was the commanding officer from 1981 to 1984. USN photo # DN-SC-90-02148 courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
Sand Lance146kCaptain Orval L. Sweeny was the commanding officer from 1984 to 1987. USN photo # DN-SC-84-09986 courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
Sand Lance557k A port view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine Sand Lance (SSN-660), underway on 1 February 1991. Official USN photo # DN-ST-91-05699, by D. Parnham, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil & submitted by Bill Gonyo.
Sand Lance563k Line handlers tie up the nuclear-powered attack submarine Sand Lance (SSN-660) alongside a tender following its arrival at the naval station during on 5 August 1991 for Unitas XXII, a combined exercise involving the naval forces of the United States and nine South American nations. The guided missile destroyer Dahlgren (DDG-43) is in the background. Official USN photo # DN-ST-92-03551, by PH2 John D. Rivera, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil & submitted by Bill Gonyo.
Sand Lance238kThe nuclear-powered attack submarine Sand Lance (SSN-660) passes the guided missile destroyer Dahlgren (DDG-43), foreground, and the tank landing ship Barnstable County (LST-1197). Official USN photo # DN-ST-92-03553, by PH2 John D. Rivera, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil & submitted by Bill Gonyo.
Sand Lance225kA crew member aboard the nuclear-powered attack submarine Sand Lance (SSN-660) tosses a messenger line alongside the O'Bannon (DD-987) on 14 September 1991 during Unitas XXII.Photo i.d. courtesy of Rich Comer.
Official USN photo # DN-ST-92-10350, by JO1 Marc Boyd, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil & submitted by Bill Gonyo.
Sand Lance57kSand Lance (SSN-660), in Gibraltar 25th December 1993.Courtesy of Daniel Ferro.
Sand Lance22kSand Lance (SSN-660), alongside at Groton CT, in 1994. Courtesy of Ken Hart.
Sand Lance53kSand Lance (SSN-660), underway, in Charleston, South Carolina with Fort Sumter in the background.USN photo courtesy of American Federation of Scientists. Text i.d. courtesy of Mike Nardelli.
Sand Lance28kCommemorative post mark on the occasion of Sand Lance's (SSN-660) first trip to the North Pole, 12 July 1996.Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Sand Lance16k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Sand Lance's (SSN-660) first trip to the North Pole, 12 July 1996.Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
James K. Polk76kA full-scale mock-up of a typical nuclear-powered submarine's maneuvering room (possibly) James K. Polk (SSBN-645), Pogy (SSN-647), Sand Lance (SSN-660), or Hawkbill (SSN-666) in which the ship's engineers control the power plant and electrical and steam systems is displayed as part of the submarine exhibit which opened 12 April 2000 to the public at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
The maneuvering room control panels were significantly modified (read: declassified) for public exhibit. 		USN photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Tim Altevogt, courtesy of the Navy Office of Information.
Text courtesy of Paul F. Johnston, Ph.D. Curator of Maritime History.
National Museum of American History
Pogy95k The forward control station aboard a typical U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine (possibly) the James K. Polk (SSBN-645), Pogy (SSN-647), Sand Lance (SSN-660), or Hawkbill (SSN-666) of the Cold War era, showing the ballast control panel, the helm and bow plane controls, is displayed as part of the exhibition which opened 12 April 2000 to the public at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. USN photo N-5670G-001 by Alan P. Goldstein, Navy Office of Information.
Spent Fuel569kSealed reactor compartments are shipped by barge out of Puget Sound Naval Base down the coast and along the Columbia River to the port of Benton. There the radioactively-contaminated hull sections are transferred to special multiwheeled high-load trailers for transport to the Hanford Reservation in Washington State. Pictured below is the burial ground for spent fuel of the following 77 nuclear reactor submarines as of March 2003:
Patrick Henry (SSBN-599),
Snook (SSN-592),
George Washington (SSBN-598),
Scamp (SSN-588),
Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601),
Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618),
Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600),
Dace (SSN-607),
John Adams (SSBN-620),
Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602),
Barb (SSN-596),
Ethan Allen (SSBN-608),
Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610),
Pollack (SSN-603),
Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685),
James Monroe (SSBN-622),
Skipjack (SS-585),
Nathan Hale (SSBN-623),
Plunger (SSN-595),
Shark (SSN-591),
Lafayette (SSBN-616),
Sam Houston (SSBN-609),
Jack (SSN-605),
Haddo (SSN-604),
Tinosa (SSN-606),
Guardfish (SSN-612),
Permit (SSN-594),
Queenfish (SSN-651),
Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631),
John Marshall (SSBN-611),
George C. Marshall (SSBN-654),
Flasher (SSN-613),
Guitarro (SSN-665),
Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617),
George Washington Carver (SSBN-656),
Tecumseh (SSBN-628),
Halibut (SSGN-587),
Will Rogers (SSBN-659),
Henry L. Stimson (SSBN-655),
Daniel Boone (SSBN-629),
Greenling (SSN-614),
John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630),
Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633),
Skate (SSN-578),
Sargo (SSN-583),
Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657),
Sturgeon (SSN-637),
Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640),
Swordfish (SSN-579),
Seadragon (SSN-584),
Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634),
Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641),
Hammerhead (SSN-663),
Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658) ,
Tullibee (SSN-597),
Lewis & Clark (SSBN-644),
Pargo (SSN-650),
Seahorse (SSN-669),
Gurnard (SSN-662),
Flying Fish (SSN-673),
Gato (SSN-615),
Puffer (SSN-652),
Seawolf (SSN-575),
Baton Rouge (SSN-689),
Bergall (SSN-667),
Whale (SSN-638),
Henry Clay (SSBN-625),
James Madison (SSBN-627),
Finback (SSN-670),
Spadefish (SSN-668),
Sunfish (SSN-649),
George Bancroft (SSBN-643),
Grayling (SSN-646),
Pintado (SSN-672),
Tunny (SSN-682),
Archerfish (SSN-678),
& Woodrow Wilson (SSBN-624).
As time passes & more boats are retired from service and their reactors are brought here, so the numbers rise. In this photo dated November 2009, 98 nuclear submarines and six nuclear cruisers have been recycled. For an up to date view, click here		USN photo submitted by Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Insert link courtesy of wikimedia.org
Commanding Officers
01CDR. Kennington, William Arthur, USN (USNA 1955)25.09.1971 - 22.01.1974 First Date in Commission
02CDR. Bovey, Robert LeRoy, USN (USNA 1959)22.01.1974 - 18.04.1977
03CDR. Covell, Michael Averill, USN18.04.1977 - 19.05.1981
04CDR. Doherty, Hugh Michael, USN (USNA 1965)19.05.1981 - 23.07.1984
05CDR. Sweeney, Orval Lester, USN (USNA 1968)23.07.1984 - 23.11.1987
06CDR. Hopkins Jr., Hubert Denning, USN23.11.1987 - 05.09.1990
07CDR. Rabe, Brian John, USN05.09.1990 - 26.02.1993
08CDR. Slack, Randall James, USN26.02.1993 - 08.06.1995
09CDR. Baker Jr., George Henry (Bud), USN08.06.1995 - 07.08.1998 Last Date in Commission
Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
View the Sand Lance (SSN-660)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
FAS--SSN-637 Sturgeon class
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