USS Skipjack (SSN-585) provided support vessel services for another submarine's sea trials. Following this mission, "Skipjack" entered NNSDDCO in October for decommissioning. "Skipjack" was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 19 April 1990, having served for 31 years in the US Navy. ex-"Skipjack" entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, on 17 March 1996. Recycling was completed on 1 September 1998. USS Skipjack (SSN-585) USS "Skipjack" (SSN-585), the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named after the Skipjack tuna. Her keel
USS Skipjack (SSN-585) Atlantic transit. Down in the subsurface calm, the crew were hardly even aware of the turbulence above them. After returning to Norfolk, "Skipjack" conducted several exercises with ASW aircraft flying from air bases in Virginia and North Carolina. In these exercises "Skipjack" played the role of a Russian submarine; ASW forces were to locate, track and conduct simulated attacks against the "Skipjack". During the exercise, "Skipjack" was placed under certain handicaps that would not have been present in normal operations; for instance, she was restricted to a designated operating area measuring 20 miles by 10 miles. Also, at that time,