The USS Key West (SSN-722) is a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, notable for being the third vessel in the U.S. Navy to bear the name of Key West, Florida. Constructed by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, her keel was laid on July 6, 1983, following the contract award on August 13, 1981. She was launched on July 20, 1985, and commissioned on September 12, 1987, under the command of Commander Warren Lipscomb, Jr. The submarine features the advanced capabilities of the Los Angeles class, including being the fourth in her class equipped with a vertical launch system (VLS) that can carry 12 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, enhancing her strike capabilities. Her hull measures approximately 360 feet in length with a beam of about 33 feet, powered by a nuclear reactor providing virtually unlimited underwater endurance. Key West was home-ported at Norfolk Naval Base until 1995, during which she conducted numerous Cold War deployments in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Mediterranean, earning distinctions such as the "Hook-em" antisubmarine warfare award and the Meritorious Unit Commendation. She also secured victory in the 1992 "TOP TORP" Torpedo Shooting Competition and received the Submarine Squadron Eight Battle "E" award. In 1995, USS Key West deployed with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group, operating in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf, earning multiple medals including the Navy Unit Commendation. Later, she transferred to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Pearl Harbor in 1996, and deployed extensively in the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. Notably, she launched Tomahawk missiles against Afghanistan in 2001 following the September 11 attacks. Throughout her service, USS Key West received numerous accolades, including the "Battle E" award multiple times and the Hugh McCraken Award for top Chiefs Mess in the Pacific Submarine Force. Her operational history includes participation in exercises such as RIMPAC, and she served as a forward-deployed unit based in Guam from 2012. After her final deployment in late 2022, she arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in January 2023 and was placed in the reserve fleet, marking the end of her active service. Her emblem features a conch shell symbolizing her namesake city and a motto emphasizing tenacity and resourcefulness as the "Key to Freedom."

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