USS Tullibee (SSN-597)

• Unique Design: USS Tullibee (SSN-597) was the first U.S. Navy submarine built specifically as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) hunter-killer, pioneering a new design focused on quiet operation and advanced sonar systems. • Small Size: Unlike other nuclear submarines of her era, Tullibee was much smaller, displacing about 2,300 tons, making her the smallest operational nuclear submarine ever built by the United States. • Turbo-Electric Drive: Tullibee was the first U.S. nuclear submarine to use a turbo-electric propulsion system, which was quieter but less powerful than traditional direct-drive systems. • Bow-Mounted Sonar Sphere: She was the first submarine in the world to feature a large spherical sonar array in the bow, which became standard for later U.S. attack submarines. • Construction Milestone: Her keel was laid down at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut on 26 May 1958, and she was launched on 27 April 1960. • First of Her Name: USS Tullibee (SSN-597) was the second U.S. Navy vessel named after the tullibee, a freshwater whitefish found in North America. • Experimental Platform: Tullibee served as an experimental platform for many new submarine technologies, including the "teardrop" hull design and advanced noise reduction techniques. • Operational History: She participated in several Atlantic Fleet exercises, NATO operations, and was among the first submarines assigned to Submarine Development Group 2 for advanced undersea warfare tactics. • Legacy: Although her design was not adopted for further classes due to cost and performance limitations, many of her innovations influenced future submarine design, especially the Los Angeles and Seawolf classes. • Decommissioning: After 26 years of service, USS Tullibee was decommissioned at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on 28 June 1988 and later recycled through the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program.