The USS Plunger (SSN-595) was a Permit-class nuclear attack submarine commissioned into the United States Navy in 1962. As a Permit-class vessel, she was constructed at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, with her keel laid down on 2 March 1960 after an initial contract for a guided-missile submarine was redesignated as an attack submarine. She was launched on 9 December 1961, sponsored by Mrs. Clinton P. Anderson, and officially commissioned on 21 November 1962. The Plunger featured a robust nuclear propulsion system, enabling extended underwater operations, although specific dimensions are not provided in the source. Her service primarily focused on testing and evaluation, including testing sonar and fire control systems, and acting as a flagship for Submarine Division 71 at Pearl Harbor from April 1963. She played a significant role in demonstrating advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities and participated in missile firing exercises at Wake Island in 1964. Throughout her career, USS Plunger undertook numerous deployments to the Western Pacific, including Vietnam-era operations, port visits in Japan, Guam, the Philippines, and South Korea, and special operations patrols. Notably, she was the first nuclear ship to visit Yokosuka, Japan, in 1968, amid protests over nuclear contamination fears. She also served as a test platform for new weapon systems like the SubRoc torpedo tube-launched rocket, which had a range of up to twenty-five miles. Her operational history includes participation in ASW exercises, oceanographic surveys, and multiple deployments that earned her four Navy Unit Commendations, Meritorious Unit Commendations, and the prestigious Battle Efficiency "Battle E" award. She was recognized for operational excellence, maintaining a high operational tempo and never missing a scheduled underway period. In the early 1980s, USS Plunger underwent modernization at Bremerton, including the installation of the BQQ-5 sonar system. Despite aging, she remained highly active, conducting extensive operations into the late 1980s, earning further commendations, and maintaining a distinguished record. She was decommissioned on 3 January 1990, after nearly three decades of service, and was dismantled as part of the Nuclear Ship Recycling Program in 1996. At the time of her decommissioning, she was noted as the most-decorated submarine in the Pacific Fleet.

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