The USS George Washington (SSBN-598) was the United States' first operational ballistic missile submarine and the lead vessel of her class. Built by the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut, her keel was laid on November 1, 1958. Originally intended to be an attack submarine (SSN-589) named USS Scorpion, she was lengthened by inserting a 130-foot-long ballistic missile section during construction, which led to her being purpose-built as a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. Launched on June 9, 1959, and commissioned on December 30, 1959, she became the first of her class and the first purpose-built warship of that name, honoring Founding Father George Washington. Her early service was marked by groundbreaking achievements, notably conducting the first submerged Polaris missile launch from a U.S. submarine on July 20, 1960, from Cape Canaveral. During this test, she successfully launched two missiles, with one striking its target 1,100 nautical miles downrange, demonstrating the viability of submarine-based missile deterrence. She maintained her deterrent patrols with both her Blue and Gold crews, completing her first patrol after 66 days submerged in January 1961, and operated from her initial bases in Groton and later Holy Loch, Scotland. In 1970, after cruising approximately 100,000 nautical miles, she refueled in Charleston, South Carolina, and subsequently shifted her homeport to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, joining the Pacific Fleet. A notable incident occurred on April 9, 1981, when George Washington was broadsided by the Japanese cargo ship Nissho Maru in the East China Sea, sustaining minor damage but resulting in the sinking of Nissho Maru and the loss of two Japanese crew members. The incident strained U.S.-Japanese relations and led to official apologies and reparations. Throughout her service, George Washington participated in numerous deterrent patrols, exercises, and operational activities, including a circumnavigation of South America in 1984. She was decommissioned on January 24, 1985, and dismantled under the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program by September 30, 1998. Her sail now resides at the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut, serving as a historical artifact of her pioneering role in naval strategic deterrence.

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