USS Sam Rayburn
USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) off the United States East Coast, probably while on sea trials in 1964. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Namesake | Sam Rayburn (1882–1961), Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1940–1947, 1949–1953, and 1955–1961) |
| Ordered | 20 July 1961 |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia |
| Laid down | 3 December 1962 |
| Launched | 20 December 1963 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. S. E. Bartley and Mrs. W. A. Thomas |
| Commissioned | 2 December 1964 |
| Decommissioned | 31 July 1989 |
| Reclassified | Moored training ship, MTS-635, 31 July 1989 |
| Stricken | 31 July 1989 |
| Motto | "First in its Class" |
| Nickname(s) | Mr Sam |
| Status | Awaiting defueling and disposal at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | James Madison-class submarine |
| Displacement | 6,700 long tons (6,808 t) light |
| Length | 425 ft (130 m) |
| Beam | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Draft | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Installed power | S5W reactor |
| Propulsion | 2 × geared steam turbines, one shaft 15,000 shp (11,185 kW) |
| Speed | Over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Test depth | 1,300 feet (400 m) |
| Complement | Two crews (Blue and Gold) of 120 men each |
| Armament |
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USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) was a James Madison-class fleet ballistic missile submarine named for Sam Rayburn (1882–1961), Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1940–1947, 1949–1953, and 1955–1961). Sam Rayburn was in commission 2 December 1964 to 31 July 1989 carrying the Polaris missile and later the Poseidon missile. Following decommissioning, ex-Sam Rayburn was converted into a moored training ship for use at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit at Goose Creek, South Carolina.