USS Richard B. Russell

USS Richard B. Russell (SSN-687) in January 1984. Note the antenna buoy housing, or "bustle", behind her sail, which had been installed in August 1977.
History
United States
Name	USS Richard B. Russell
Namesake	Richard B. Russell, Jr.
Awarded	25 July 1969
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia
Laid down	19 October 1971
Launched	12 January 1974
Sponsored by	Mrs. Herman E. Talmadge
Commissioned	16 August 1975
Decommissioned	24 June 1994
Stricken	24 June 1994
Identification	SSN-687
Motto	"They Saved The Best For Last"
Nickname(s)	"Dickey B."
Honors and awards	Presidential Unit Citation 1990–91 6 Navy Unit Commendations Meritorious Unit Commendation 1981 7 Battle Effectiveness Awards
Fate	Scrapping via Ship and Submarine Recycling Program begun 1 October 2001, completed 3 January 2003
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Sturgeon-class attack submarine
Displacement	3,978 long tons (4,042 t) light 4,270 long tons (4,339 t) full 292 long tons (297 t) dead
Length	302 ft 3 in (92.13 m)
Beam	31 ft 8 in (9.65 m)
Draft	28 ft 8 in (8.74 m)
Installed power	15,000 shp (11,000 kW)
Propulsion	One S5W nuclear reactor, two steam turbines, one screw
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) surfaced 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) submerged
Test depth	1,300 ft (400 m)
Complement	126 (14 officers, 112 enlisted)
Armament	4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes UUM-44A SUBROC missiles

USS Richard B. Russell (SSN-687), a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Richard B. Russell, Jr. (1897–1971), United States Senator from Georgia (1933–1971).^[1]