USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709)

The USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709) was a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine of the United States Navy. She was named in honor of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, widely considered the "Father of the Nuclear Navy" for his instrumental role in the development of naval nuclear propulsion.

SSN-709 was the penultimate submarine of the original Los Angeles-class design (before the 688i improved design). Her keel was laid down on July 27, 1981, at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on August 27, 1983, sponsored by Mrs. Eleonore Ann Bednowicz Rickover, Admiral Rickover's widow, and commissioned on July 21, 1984.

The USS Hyman G. Rickover served in the Atlantic Fleet for the duration of her service life. She participated in numerous exercises and deployments, conducting a variety of missions typical of fast attack submarines, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence gathering, and special operations support.

Following a distinguished career, the USS Hyman G. Rickover was decommissioned on December 14, 2007, at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. She was subsequently recycled through the Navy's Ship-Submarine Recycling Program (SRP) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Her sail was preserved and is on display at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, South Carolina, serving as a reminder of Admiral Rickover's legacy and the importance of nuclear power in the Navy.