The USS Houston (SSN-713) is a Los Angeles-class attack submarine of the United States Navy, representing the fourth vessel to carry the name of Houston, Texas. Constructed by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, the contract was awarded on August 1, 1975, with the keel laid down on January 29, 1979. The submarine was launched on March 21, 1981, with Barbara Bush serving as her sponsor. She was officially commissioned into service on September 25, 1982. Designed as a fast, stealthy attack submarine, USS Houston played a notable role in naval operations and popular culture. She appeared in the film "The Hunt for Red October," portraying the USS Dallas (SSN-700), notably executing an "emergency blow" maneuver—forcing high-pressure air into her ballast tanks to rapidly increase buoyancy and leap from the water, simulating a dramatic escape. Her service included deployments across the Pacific and involvement in various patrols and operations. Between 2004 and 2005, author Robert D. Kaplan served aboard Houston, documenting his experiences in his book "Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts." In 2008, it was reported that Houston had been leaking radioactive water for nearly two years while on patrol near Japan, Guam, and Hawaii. The leak was deemed minor, with only a negligible amount of radioactivity released—less than that of a typical smoke detector. One crew member was exposed but not injured. Houston completed her final deployment and moored at Pearl Harbor on October 28, 2015. She was decommissioned on August 26, 2016, at Naval Base Kitsap—Bangor, where she entered the process of defueling. Throughout her service, USS Houston exemplified the stealth and power characteristic of Los Angeles-class submarines, contributing to U.S. naval dominance in undersea warfare.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.