Overview
The "41 for Freedom" nuclear-powered submarines were armed with intermediate-range SLBMs (IRBMs) to create a deterrent force against the threat of nuclear war with any foreign power threatening the United States during the Cold War.
The US Navy created a new submarine classification for these boats: SSBN. The first of the "41 for Freedom" submarines to be completed was George Washington, which was commissioned on 30 December 1959. The last of these submarines to be commissioned was Will Rogers which was commissioned on 1 April 1967. These 41 were superseded by the submarines of the Ohio class.
Kamehameha was decommissioned on 2 April 2002, the last boat of the original "41 for Freedom" submarines, and the oldest submarine in the US Navy. Almost 37 years old, she held the record for the longest service lifetime of any nuclear-powered submarine.
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