USS Grayback (SSG-574)

• Unique Role as a Cruise Missile Submarine: USS Grayback (SSG-574) was one of only two submarines specifically built to carry and launch Regulus I nuclear cruise missiles, making her a key part of America’s early nuclear deterrent at sea. • Namesake Legacy: She was the second U.S. Navy ship named after the grayback fish, continuing the legacy of her World War II predecessor, USS Grayback (SS-208). • First Launch in 1958: Grayback was launched on July 2, 1957, and commissioned on March 7, 1958, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California. • Regulus Missile Operations: She conducted numerous deterrent patrols in the Pacific, armed with up to two Regulus I missiles stored in special hangars on her deck. • Converted to a Special Operations Platform: In the mid-1960s, Grayback was converted to carry Navy SEALs, Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs), and their Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDVs), becoming one of the Navy’s first dedicated special operations submarines. • Innovative Dry Deck Shelter: Grayback was fitted with a large hangar and dry deck shelter, allowing covert deployment and recovery of special forces underwater, a pioneering capability at the time. • Vietnam War Operations: She supported secret reconnaissance and sabotage missions during the Vietnam War, inserting and extracting covert teams along enemy coastlines. • Longest Submarine in the World (Briefly): After her conversion for special operations, Grayback was, for a time, the longest submarine in the world at 317 feet. • Decommissioned & Fate: Grayback was decommissioned in 1984 and later sold for scrap, ending her unique and varied career. • Inspiration for Future Designs: The special operations techniques and equipment developed aboard Grayback paved the way for the later “SSN-21” class and the Ohio-class guided missile submarines adapted for special operations.