USS Skipjack (SSN-585) 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 was laid down on 29 May 1956 by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 26 May 1958, sponsored by Helen Mahon, wife of Representative George H. Mahon from the 19th District of Texas, and commissioned on 15 April 1959 with Commander W. W. Behrens, Jr., in command. On the "Skipjack", there were many design changes that
Skipjack-class submarine Skipjack-class submarine The "Skipjack" class was a class of United States Navy nuclear submarines (SSNs) that entered service in 1959-61. This class was named after its lead boat, . The new class introduced the teardrop hull and the S5W reactor to U.S. nuclear submarines. The "Skipjack"s were the fastest U.S. nuclear submarines until the s, the first of which entered service in 1974. The "Skipjack"s' design was based on the USS "Albacore"'s high-speed hull design. The hull and innovative internal arrangement were similar to the diesel-powered "Barbel" class that were built concurrently. The design of the "Skipjack"s was very different