USS Parche (SSN-683)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Parche.

USS Parche (SSN-683) off Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, sometime prior to October 1985. The structure on the after part of her casing is a permanently attached swimmer lock-out chamber, although described under its naval cover as Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle.[citation needed] Her ship's insignia is at lower right.
History
United States
NameUSS Parche (SSN-683)
NamesakeThe parche, a type of butterfly fish
Ordered25 June 1968
BuilderIngalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Laid down10 December 1970
Launched13 January 1973
Sponsored byNatalie Beshany
Commissioned17 August 1974
Decommissioned19 October 2004
Stricken18 July 2005
MottoPar Excellence (Preeminent)
Honors and
awards
FateScrapping via Ship and Submarine Recycling Program completed 30 November 2006
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeSturgeon-class attack submarine
Displacement
  • As built:
  • 3,978 long tons (4,042 t) light
  • 4,270 long tons (4,339 t) full
  • 292 long tons (297 t) dead
Length
  • As built: 302 ft 3 in (92.13 m)
  • After 1987–1991 lengthening: 401 ft (122 m)
Beam31 ft 8 in (9.65 m)
Draft28 ft 8 in (8.74 m)
Installed power15,000 shaft horsepower (11.2 megawatts)
PropulsionOne 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 depth1,300 feet (396 meters)
Complement
  • As built: 112 (14 officers, 98 enlisted men)
  • After 1987–1991 modifications: 179 (22 officers, 157 enlisted men)
Armament4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

USS Parche (SSN-683), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the parche /ˌpɑːrˈtʃeɪ/, a small, coral reef butterfly fish. Parche was launched on 13 January 1973, sponsored by Natalie Beshany, the wife of Vice Admiral Philip A. Beshany, and commissioned on 17 August 1974.

Attributed as being a key resource of the National Underwater Reconnaissance Office, Parche is said to be "the most highly decorated vessel in U.S. history."[1][2][3]

  1. ^ "United States Navy > Resources > Blogs".
  2. ^ Tinoko, PO2 Maebel (29 August 2007). "USS Parche Dedicates Sail to Puget Sound Navy Museum NNS070828-19". Navy News Service. Retrieved 5 June 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Larson, Caleb (21 March 2021). "Meet the USS Parche—the Most Decorate U.S. Vessel Ever". The National Interest.