uss skate SSN578

USS Skate (SSN-578) was the lead ship of her class and the third nuclear-powered submarine commissioned by the United States Navy. Launched in 1957 and commissioned in 1957, Skate made history in March 1959 by becoming the first submarine to surface at the North Pole, demonstrating the Navy's ability to operate under the Arctic ice. Throughout her service, she conducted numerous Cold War patrols, exercises, and scientific missions, highlighting the strategic value of nuclear submarines. USS Skate was decommissioned in 1986 after nearly three decades of service.