The USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) was a George Washington-class fleet ballistic missile submarine constructed for the United States Navy. Its keel was laid at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, on November 1, 1958, with the vessel launched on May 14, 1960, and commissioned on March 8, 1961. The submarine measured approximately 425 feet in length and was designed to carry and deploy ballistic missiles as part of the U.S. strategic deterrent force. Upon commissioning, Abraham Lincoln underwent shakedown and weapons testing at Cape Canaveral, Florida, before returning to Portsmouth for post-shakedown repairs. In July 1961, she moved to Charleston, South Carolina, for final loadout and then departed for her first deterrent patrol from Holy Loch, Scotland, in October 1961. The submarine remained based at Holy Loch for roughly four years, conducting deterrent patrols and upkeep alongside submarine tenders USS Proteus and USS Hunley. Notably, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Abraham Lincoln was ordered to deploy during a scheduled maintenance period and successfully completed a 65-day patrol, contributing to U.S. strategic deterrence. In 1965, she entered overhaul and refueling at Groton, Connecticut, which was completed in June 1967. After returning to Holy Loch, she continued her patrols until 1972, when she transited to the U.S. West Coast, joining the Pacific Fleet. Her overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard was completed in December 1973, after which she relocated to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1974. There, she became part of the CINCPAC Fleet, conducting deterrent patrols in the Mariana Islands until 1978, becoming the first ballistic missile submarine to complete 50 strategic deterrent patrols. Decommissioned on February 28, 1981, and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1982, Abraham Lincoln was disposed of via the Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in 1994. A portion of her sail was preserved and is displayed at the Submarine Force Library and Museum near Groton, Connecticut. The vessel played a significant role in Cold War strategic deterrence and was part of the early fleet of U.S. ballistic missile submarines.

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