The Ship-Submarine Recycling Program (SRP) is the process that the United States Navy uses to dispose of decommissioned nuclear vessels. SRP takes place only at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Bremerton, Washington, but the preparations can begin elsewhere.
Before SRP can begin, the vessel's nuclear fuel must be removed, and defueling usually coincides with decommissioning. Until the fuel is removed, the vessel is referred to as "USS Name," but afterward, the "USS" prefix is dropped and it is referred to as "ex-Name." Reusable equipment is removed at the same time as the fuel.
Spent nuclear fuel is shipped by rail to the Naval Reactor Facility in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), located 42miles northwest of Idaho Falls, Idaho, where it is stored in special canisters.[1]
At PSNS, the SRP proper begins. The salvage workers cut the submarine into three or four pieces: the aft section, the reactor compartment, the missile compartment if one exists, and the forward section. Missile compartments are dismantled according to the provisions of the Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty.
Until 1991, the forward and aft sections of the submarines were rejoined and placed in floating storage. Various proposals for disposal of those hulls were considered, including sinking them at sea, but none proved economically practical. Some submarines built prior to the 1978 banning of polychlorinated biphenyl products (PCBs) had the chemicals on board, which are considered hazardous materials by the Environmental Protection Agency and United States Coast Guard, requiring their removal. Since then, and to help reduce costs, the remaining submarine sections are recycled, returning reusable materials to production. In the process of submarine recycling, all hazardous and toxic wastes are identified and removed, and reusable equipment is removed and put into inventory. Scrap metals and all other materials are sold to private companies or reused. The overall process is not profitable, but does provide some cost relief.[2] Disposal of submarines by the SRP costs the Navy US$25–50 million per submarine.
Once the de-fueled reactor compartment is removed, it is sealed at both ends and shipped by barge and multiple-wheel high-capacity trailers to the Department of Energy's Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state, where they are currently,, kept in open dry storage[3] and slated to be eventually buried.[4] [5] Russian submarine reactor compartments are stored in similar fashion at Sayda-Guba (Sayda Bay) in northwestern Russia and Chazhma Bay near Vladivostok.[6] [7] [8] The burial trenches have been evaluated to be secure for at least 600 years before the first pinhole penetration of some lead containment areas of the reactor compartment packages occurs, and several thousand years before leakage becomes possible.[9]
In 1959 the US Navy removed a nuclear reactor from the submarine and replaced it with a new type. The removed reactor was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean, 200abbr=onNaNabbr=on east of Delaware, at a depth of 2700abbr=onNaNabbr=on.[10] In 1972, the London Dumping Convention restricted ocean disposal of radioactive waste and in 1993, ocean disposal of radioactive waste was completely banned. The US Navy began a study on scrapping nuclear submarines; two years later shallow land burial of reactor compartments was selected as the most suitable option.
In 1990, was the first US nuclear-powered submarine to be scrapped.[11]
By the end of 2005, 195 nuclear submarines had been ordered or built in the US (including the NR-1 Deep Submergence Craft and, but none of the later). The last of the regular attack boats,, was decommissioned in 2001, and, a highly modified Sturgeon, was decommissioned in 2004. The last of the initial "41 for Freedom" fleet ballistic missile (FBM) submarines,, was decommissioned in 2002. Decommissioning of the boats began in 1995 with . Additionally, a handful of nuclear-powered cruisers have entered the program, and their dismantling is ongoing. The first aircraft carrier due for decommissioning that would enter the SRP is planned to be, which was withdrawn in 2013.[12] [13] Unlike the disposal of other nuclear powered surface ships, all of which have been recycled at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, the Navy is looking at other, commercial or private sector options for Enterprise in an effort to reduce both the cost of the work and the time taken to dismantle such a large vessel, as well as negating the difficulty of towing the hulk all the way from Newport News, where it is stored, to Puget Sound.[14]
In December 2020, it was announced that a further nine Los Angeles-class attack submarines, two guided missile submarines, and the aircraft carrier would be decommissioned and enter the recycling program by 2026.[15] However, in November 2023, a further announcement was made that, owing to delays in both the construction of ships of the and the Refueling and Complex Overhaul work on the existing Nimitz class ships, the US Navy was looking to extend the service life of Nimitz beyond 2026, and, which was planned to decommission in 2027.[16]
Hulls waiting or already processed by the recycling program are listed below.
| Ship name (Hull number) | Start date | Completion date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ex-Long Beach (CGN-9) | 1 May 2009[18] | Incomplete (note) | |
| ex-Bainbridge (CGN/DLGN-25) | 1 October 1997 | 30 October 1999 | |
| ex-Truxtun (CGN/DLGN-35) | 1 October 1997 | 28 April 1999 | |
| ex-California (CGN/DLGN-36) | 1 October 1998 | 12 May 2000 | |
| ex-South Carolina (CGN/DLGN-37) | 1 October 2007[19] | 10 May 2010 † | |
| ex-Virginia (CGN-38) | 1 October 1999 | 25 September 2002 | |
| ex-Texas (CGN-39) | 1 October 1999 | 30 October 2001 | |
| ex-Mississippi (CGN-40) | 1 October 2004 | 5 December 2006 | |
| ex-Arkansas (CGN-41) | 7 July 1998 | 1 November 1999 |
(note) ex-Long Beach has been partially dismantled and remains moored in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 2018.
Some of these submarines (the George Washington class) were fleet ballistic missile boats for the vast majority of their careers. However, they were briefly converted to SSNs before decommissioning and arrival at PSNS, and so are listed under that designation here. The nuclear-powered research submersible NR-1 is also included in this list.
| Ship name (Hull number) | Start date | Completion date/status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ex-Seawolf (SSN-575) | 1 October 1996 | 30 September 1997 | |
| ex-Skate (SSN-578) | 14 April 1994 | 6 March 1995 | |
| ex-Swordfish (SSN-579) | Unknown | 11 September 1995 | |
| ex-Sargo (SSN-583) | 14 April 1994 | 5 April 1995 | |
| ex-Seadragon (SSN-584) | 1 October 1994 | 18 September 1995 | |
| ex-Skipjack (SSN-585) | 17 March 1996 | 1 September 1998 | |
| ex-Triton (SSRN-586) | 1 October 2007 | 30 November 2009[20] | |
| ex-Halibut (SSGN-587) | 12 July 1993 | 9 September 1994 | |
| ex-Scamp (SSN-588) | 1990 | 9 September 1994 (the first) | |
| ex-Sculpin (SSN-590) | 1 October 2000 | 30 October 2001 | |
| ex-Shark (SSN-591) | 1 October 1995 | 28 June 1996 | |
| ex-Snook (SSN-592) | 1 October 1996 | 30 June 1997 | |
| ex-Permit (SSN-594) | 30 September 1991 | 20 May 1993 | |
| ex-Plunger (SSN-595) | 5 January 1995 | 8 March 1996 | |
| ex-Barb (SSN-596) | Unknown | 14 March 1996 | |
| ex-Tullibee (SSN-597) | 5 January 1995 | 1 April 1996 | |
| ex-George Washington (SSBN/SSN-598) | Unknown | 30 September 1998† | |
| ex-Patrick Henry (SSBN/SSN-599) | 1 October 1996 | 31 August 1997 | |
| ex-Robert E. Lee (SSBN/SSN-601) | Unknown | 30 September 1991 | |
| ex-Pollack (SSN-603) | 9 February 1993 | 17 February 1995 | |
| ex-Haddo (SSN-604) | Unknown | 30 June 1992 | |
| ex-Jack (SSN-605) | Unknown | 30 June 1992 | |
| ex-Tinosa (SSN-606) | 15 July 1991 | 26 June 1992 | |
| ex-Dace (SSN-607) | Unknown | 1 January 1997 | |
| ex-Ethan Allen (SSBN/SSN-608) | Unknown | 30 July 1999 | |
| ex-Sam Houston (SSBN/SSN-609) | 1 March 1991 | 3 February 1992 | |
| ex-Thomas A. Edison (SSBN/SSN-610) | 1 October 1996 | 1 December 1997 | |
| ex-John Marshall (SSBN/SSN-611) | 22 July 1992 | 29 March 1993 | |
| ex-Guardfish (SSN-612) | Unknown | 9 July 1992 | |
| ex-Flasher (SSN-613) | Unknown | 11 May 1994 | |
| ex-Greenling (SSN-614) | 30 September 1993 | 18 April 1994 | |
| ex-Gato (SSN-615) | Unknown | 1 November 1996 | |
| ex-Haddock (SSN-621) | 1 October 2000 | 1 October 2001 | |
| ex-Sturgeon (SSN-637) | Unknown | 11 December 1995 † | |
| ex-Whale (SSN-638) | 20 October 1995 | 1 July 1996 | |
| ex-Tautog (SSN-639) | 15 March 2003 | 30 September 2004 | |
| ex-Kamehameha (SSBN/SSN-642) | 1 October 2001 | 28 February 2003 | |
| ex-James K. Polk (SSBN/SSN-645) | 16 February 1999 | 15 July 2000 | |
| ex-Grayling (SSN-646) | 18 July 1997 | 31 March 1998 | |
| ex-Pogy (SSN-647) | 4 January 1999 | 12 April 2000 | |
| ex-Aspro (SSN-648) | 1 October 1999 | 3 November 2000 | |
| ex-Sunfish (SSN-649) | Unknown | 31 October 1997 | |
| ex-Pargo (SSN-650) | 1 October 1994 | 15 October 1996 | |
| ex-Queenfish (SSN-651) | 1 May 1992 | 7 April 1993 | |
| ex-Puffer (SSN-652) | 20 October 1995 | 12 July 1996 | |
| ex-Ray (SSN-653) | 15 March 2002 | 30 July 2003 | |
| ex-Sand Lance (SSN-660) | 1 April 1998 | 30 August 1999 | |
| ex-Lapon (SSN-661) | 15 March 2003 | 30 November 2004 | |
| ex-Gurnard (SSN-662) | Unknown | 15 October 1996 | |
| ex-Hammerhead (SSN-663) | Unknown | 22 November 1995 | |
| ex-Sea Devil (SSN-664) | 1 March 1998 | 7 September 1999 | |
| ex-Guitarro (SSN-665) | Unknown | 18 October 1994 | |
| ex-Hawkbill (SSN-666) | 1 October 1999 | 1 December 2000 † | |
| ex-Bergall (SSN-667) | Unknown | 29 September 1997 | |
| ex-Spadefish (SSN-668) | 1 October 1996 | 24 October 1997 | |
| ex-Seahorse (SSN-669) | 1 March 1995 | 30 September 1996 | |
| ex-Finback (SSN-670) | Unknown | 30 October 1997 | |
| ex-Narwhal (SSN-671) | 1 October 2001 | (museum plans failed; see article) | |
| ex-Pintado (SSN-672) | 1 October 1997 | 27 October 1998 | |
| ex-Flying Fish (SSN-673) | Unknown | 15 October 1996 | |
| ex-Trepang (SSN-674) | 4 January 1999 | 7 April 2000 | |
| ex-Bluefish (SSN-675) | 15 March 2002 | 1 November 2003 | |
| ex-Billfish (SSN-676) | Unknown | 26 April 2000 | |
| ex-Drum (SSN-677) | 1 December 2008 | 20 May 2010 | |
| ex-Archerfish (SSN-678) | Unknown | 6 November 1998 | |
| ex-Silversides (SSN-679) | 1 October 2000 | 1 October 2001 | |
| ex-William H. Bates (SSN-680) | 1 October 2002 | 30 October 2002 | |
| ex-Batfish (SSN-681) | Unknown | 22 November 2002 | |
| ex-Tunny (SSN-682) | 1 October 1997 | 27 October 1998 | |
| ex-Parche (SSN-683) | 30 September 2004‡ | 30 November 2006 | |
| ex-Cavalla (SSN-684) | 1 October 1999 | 16 November 2000 | |
| ex-Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685) | Unknown | 1 December 1997 | |
| ex-L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) | 29 November 2000 | 19 July 2002 | |
| ex-Richard B. Russell (SSN-687) | 1 October 2001 | 19 September 2002 | |
| ex-Los Angeles (SSN-688) | February 2011 | 5 March 2013 | |
| ex-Baton Rouge (SSN-689) | 13 January 1995 | 30 September 1997 | |
| ex-Philadelphia (SSN-690) | 1 September 2019 | De-fueled, inactivated[21] | |
| ex-Memphis (SSN-691) | 14 December 2010 | De-fueled, inactivated | |
| ex-Omaha (SSN-692) | 1 October 2009 | 7 November 2011 | |
| ex-Cincinnati (SSN-693) | 1 October 2009 | 22 September 2014[22] | |
| ex-Groton (SSN-694) | 1 June 2012 | 5 May 2014 | |
| ex-Birmingham (SSN-695) | 1 June 2012 | 23 September 2015[23] | |
| ex-New York City (SSN-696) | 1 June 2011 | De-fueled, inactivated | |
| ex-Indianapolis (SSN-697) | 1 October 2013 | Recycling begun | |
| ex-Bremerton (SSN-698) | 21 May 2021[24] | Being de-fueled/inactivated[25] | |
| ex-Jacksonville (SSN-699) | 28 October 2021[26] | Being de-fueled/inactivated[27] | |
| ex-Dallas (SSN-700) | 22 May 2017 | Being de-fueled/inactivated[28] | |
| ex-La Jolla (SSN-701) | refit (training vessel) | n/a | |
| ex-Phoenix (SSN-702) | 1 June 2013 | Decommissioned 29 July 1998 | |
| ex-Boston (SSN-703) | 1 October 2001 | 19 September 2002 † | |
| ex-Baltimore (SSN-704) | 1 June 2013 | Decommissioned 10 July 1998 | |
| ex-City of Corpus Christi (SSN-705) | 24 November 2015 | Being de-fueled/inactivated | |
| ex-Albuquerque (SSN-706) | 14 April 2016 | De-fueled, inactivated | |
| ex-Portsmouth (SSN-707) | 1 June 2015 | De-fueled, inactivated | |
| ex-Minneapolis–Saint Paul (SSN-708) | 1 June 2018 | 30 November 2021 | |
| ex-Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709) | 30 September 2016 | De-fueled, inactivated | |
| ex-Augusta (SSN-710) | 1 September 2019 | 30 November 2021 | |
| ex-San Francisco (SSN-711) | refit (training vessel) | n/a | |
| ex-Atlanta (SSN-712) | 1 October 2013 | Recycling begun | |
| ex-Houston (SSN-713) | 21 September 2015 | Being de-fueled/inactivated | |
| ex-Norfolk (SSN-714) | 11 December 2014[29] [30] | De-fueled, inactivated | |
| ex-Buffalo (SSN-715) | 26 May 2017 [31] | Arrived PSNS 26 May 2017 | |
| ex-Salt Lake City (SSN-716) | 30 September 2015 | 30 November 2019 | |
| ex-Honolulu (SSN-718) | 1 November 2006 | 20 October 2008 | |
| ex-Providence (SSN-719) | 22 August 2022[32] | Being de-fueled/inactivated[33] | |
| ex-Pittsburgh (SSN-720) | 15 April 2020[34] | Being de-fueled/inactivated[35] | |
| ex-Chicago (SSN-721) | 26 January 2023[36] | Arrived PSNS 26 January 2023 | |
| ex-Oklahoma City (SSN-723) | 9 September 2022[37] | Being de-fueled/inactivated[38] | |
| ex-Louisville (SSN-724) | 9 March 2021[39] | Being de-fueled/inactivated[40] | |
| ex-Miami (SSN-755) | 28 March 2014 | De-fueled, inactivated | |
| ex-NR-1 | 29 November 2009[41] | De-fueled, inactivated[42] | |
| Ship name (Hull number) | Start date | Completion date/status |
† A dagger after a completion date indicates that portions of the hull were preserved as memorials. See the individual articles for details.
‡ Date given for ex-Parche is official date used to secure FY2004 funding; work did not begin until 19 October.[18]
(SSN-701) is currently undergoing conversion to a moored training ship at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. (SSN-711) will be converted after decommissioning.
Some of these submarines (the Lafayette class) were fleet ballistic missile boats for the vast majority of their careers. However, they were converted to SSNs for use as moored training platforms and are not currently scheduled for recycling.
| Ship name (Hull number) | Start date | Completion date/Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| See Attack Submarines – (SSBN/SSN-598) | n/a | n/a | |
| See Attack Submarines – (SSBN/SSN-599) | n/a | n/a | |
| ex-Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600) | unknown | 24 March 1995 | |
| See Attack Submarines – (SSBN/SSN-601) | n/a | n/a | |
| ex-Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) | unknown | 5 May 1994 | |
| See Attack Submarines – (SSBN/SSN-608) | n/a | n/a | |
| See Attack Submarines – (SSBN/SSN-609) | n/a | n/a | |
| See Attack Submarines – (SSBN/SSN-610) | n/a | n/a | |
| See Attack Submarines – (SSBN/SSN-611) | n/a | n/a | |
| ex-Lafayette (SSBN-616) | 1 March 1991 | 25 February 1992 | |
| ex-Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617) | 23 February 1993 | 28 February 1994 | |
| ex-Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618) | 1 October 1996 | 6 March 1998† | |
| ex-Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619) | unknown | 30 August 1999 | |
| ex-John Adams (SSBN-620) | unknown | 12 February 1996 | |
| ex-James Monroe (SSBN-622) | unknown | 10 January 1995 | |
| ex-Nathan Hale (SSBN-623) | 2 October 1991 | 5 April 1995 | |
| ex-Woodrow Wilson (SSBN-624) | 26 September 1997 | 27 October 1998† | |
| ex-Henry Clay (SSBN-625) | unknown | 30 September 1997 | |
| ex-Daniel Webster (SSBN-626) | refit (training vessel) | n/a | |
| ex-James Madison (SSBN-627) | unknown | 24 October 1997 | |
| ex-Tecumseh (SSBN-628) | 15 February 1993 | 1 April 1994 | |
| ex-Daniel Boone (SSBN-629) | unknown | 4 November 1994 | |
| ex-John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630) | unknown | 18 November 1994 | |
| ex-Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631) | unknown | 23 October 1993 | |
| ex-Von Steuben (SSBN-632) | 1 October 2000 | 30 October 2001 | |
| ex-Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633) | unknown | 21 October 1994 | |
| ex-Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634) | unknown | 13 October 1995 | |
| ex-Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) | 5 April 2021 | Being de-fueled/inactivated[43] | |
| ex-Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636) | 1 September 1998 | 20 October 2000 | |
| ex-Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) | unknown | 21 August 1995 | |
| ex-Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641) | 1 October 1994 | 1 December 1995 | |
| ex-George Bancroft (SSBN-643) | unknown | 30 March 1998† | |
| ex-Lewis and Clark (SSBN-644) | 1 October 1995 | 23 September 1996† | |
| ex-George C. Marshall (SSBN-654) | unknown | 28 February 1994 | |
| ex-Henry L. Stimson (SSBN-655) | unknown | 12 August 1994 | |
| ex-George Washington Carver (SSBN-656) | unknown | 21 March 1994 | |
| ex-Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657) | unknown | 1 September 1995 | |
| ex-Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658) | 1 October 1994 | 22 December 1995 | |
| ex-Will Rogers (SSBN-659) | 12 April 1993 | 12 August 1994 |
† A dagger after a completion date indicates that portions of the hull were preserved as memorials. See the individual articles for details.
Because the program is underway, this list is almost certainly incomplete.[44]
Note for ships marked with refit:Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) was converted into a training platform - Moored Training Ship (MTS-635). Sam Rayburn arrived for conversion on 1 February 1986, and on 29 July 1989 the first moored training ship achieved initial criticality. Modifications included special mooring arrangements including a mechanism to absorb power generated by the main propulsion shaft. Daniel Webster (SSBN-626) was converted to the second Moored Training Ship (MTS-2 / MTS-626) in 1993. The Moored Training Ship Site is located at Naval Weapons Station Charleston in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Sam Rayburn is scheduled to operate as an MTS until 2014 while undergoing shipyard availabilities at four-year intervals.
