Search the Site with

General Characteristics

Crew List

Memorabilia

About the Name "Hampton"

History

Image Gallery

to end of page

USS Hampton (SSN 767)

USS HAMPTON is the 17^th improved submarine in the LOS ANGELES class and the 25^th ship of that class built by Newport News Shipbuilding.

back to top

go to the end of the page

back to top

go to the end of the page

Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS HAMPTON. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

back to top

go to the end of the page

• Click here to see which USS HAMPTON memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

back to top

go to the end of the page

About the Submarine's Name:

USS HAMPTON is named in honor of the cities in Virginia, South Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire, and is the fourth ship to carry this name. The first was a tug. The second was a subchaser (PCS 1368) named after the town in South Carolina. The third was an amphibious transport (APA 115), named after the county in South Carolina. All three ships served in World War II.

back to top

go to the end of the page

back to top

go to the end of the page

USS HAMPTON History:

USS HAMPTON is an improved LOS ANGELES-class nuclear-powered attack submarine built at Newport News Shipbuilding as part of the late-Cold War expansion of the U.S. submarine force. The construction contract was awarded on February 6, 1987, to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia, and her keel was laid there on March 2, 1990, placing her among the later "688i" boats with bow planes and enhanced quieting. She was launched on April 3, 1992, with Laura Bateman, widow of Congressman Herbert Bateman of Virginia, as sponsor, linking the boat closely to the Hampton Roads region whose name she bears alongside three other U.S. towns named Hampton. After fitting-out and sea trials, HAMPTON was commissioned on November 6, 1993, at Naval Station Norfolk and assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, homeported at Norfolk, Virginia, as one of the new generation of attack submarines designed for blue-water operations, covert intelligence collection and land-attack with cruise missiles.

In the immediate post-commissioning years, HAMPTON operated primarily from Norfolk as part of the post-Cold War Atlantic submarine force. Open sources do not provide a day-by-day picture of her early work-ups, but they make clear that she spent these years in the standard cycle of nuclear submarine operations: shakedown and training in the western Atlantic, participation in antisubmarine and strike-warfare exercises with carrier and surface groups, and periodic maintenance alongside her homeport piers and in shipyard facilities. A photograph showing HAMPTON alongside in Florida in 1993, and another showing her in Gibraltar on September 10, 1995, indicate that within two years of commissioning she was already undertaking extended deployments that took her from the U.S. East Coast into the approaches to the Mediterranean Sea at a time when the U.S. Navy was heavily engaged in enforcing sanctions and supporting operations connected to the Balkans and the continuing stabilization of the post-Gulf War Middle East. These early overseas cruises were typical of Atlantic Fleet submarines in the mid-1990s, combining presence missions, exercises with allies and discreet intelligence-gathering patrols, though the specific patrol areas and tasking for HAMPTON remain classified and are not described in the open record.

By the early 2000s, HAMPTON was a mature unit of the force, and her operations reflected the shift from a purely post-Cold War posture to the demands of the "Global War on Terror" and evolving great-power competition. She completed a six-month deployment that concluded in December, just a few months before one of the highest-profile events of her career: participation in the under-ice exercise ICEX 04. On April 19, 2004, HAMPTON and the British ROYAL NAVY attack submarine HMS TIRELESS surfaced through separate natural openings in the ice at the geographic North Pole after an extended period of joint operations beneath the Arctic ice cap. The two submarines operated from a temporary ice camp, conducting scientific experiments and tactical training in one of the most challenging environments for submarine navigation. Crews from both boats met on the ice, and HAMPTON's sailors marked the occasion by erecting a simple "North Pole" sign on the ice sheet. The exercise, ICEX 04, was designed to demonstrate and maintain the ability of U.S. and British submarines to operate freely in the Arctic Ocean, a capability seen as strategically important as interest in polar routes and Arctic resources grew in the early 21st century.

In the latter half of the decade, HAMPTON's career was briefly overshadowed by a nuclear-safety and integrity incident that drew national attention. In October 2007, the Navy disclosed that six members of her engineering department had failed to perform required chemical analysis of the reactor plant's coolant and had falsified associated log entries. Subsequent investigation revealed broader problems: in March 2008, the Navy announced that a total of eleven officers and sailors had been disciplined for falsifying records and cheating on qualification exams. The ship's commanding officer, Commander Michael B. Portland, was relieved of command for loss of confidence in his leadership, and the engineer officer, engineering department master chief and the entire reactor laboratory division were removed from nuclear duty and submarine service. Extensive inspections showed no damage to the reactor core, and after corrective actions and re-certification, the submarine was returned to full operational status. The episode was significant in the context of the Navy's stringent nuclear-safety culture, illustrating both the institutional intolerance for falsified records and the mechanisms for detecting and correcting such lapses.

Despite that interruption, HAMPTON remained an important asset, and within the next few years she was heavily engaged in forward operations. From October 17, 2008 until April 17, 2009 she completed a Western Pacific deployment, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. During this cruise she made port visits to Singapore, Yokosuka in Japan, Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands and Apra Harbor, Guam. In the course of that deployment she took part in the first recorded bilateral submarine exercise between the United States and the Republic of Singapore Navy, a sign of the growing importance of Southeast Asian partnerships and undersea interoperability as concerns over maritime security and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea increased.

By this period, HAMPTON had shifted her focus from the Atlantic to the Pacific. While the exact date of the formal homeport change is not clearly specified in all open sources, there is consensus that by the late 2000s she was assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, California, becoming one of the Pacific Fleet's San Diego-based 688i boats. In 2010 and 2011, she was recognized with the Battle Efficiency "E" award within Submarine Squadron 11, indicating top performance in readiness evaluations and tactical proficiency among her peers. On May 15, 2011, during operations in the Western Pacific, HAMPTON made a port visit to Hong Kong, supported by the submarine tender USS FRANK CABLE (AS 40), which anchored off the territory to provide logistic and maintenance support. The call came at a time when Hong Kong was still a regular port of call for U.S. Navy ships and symbolized continued military-to-military contacts and regional presence.

From San Diego, HAMPTON entered a cycle of deployments and high-visibility exercises in the Western Pacific. On June 18, 2013, she departed Naval Base Point Loma for a scheduled six-month Western Pacific deployment. During this cruise she operated under Commander, Submarine Group 7 in the 7th Fleet area. On August 22, 2013, she arrived at Changi Naval Base in Singapore for a port visit, underlining the continuing submarine partnership between the U.S. Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy. On September 6, 2013, she pulled into Subic Bay in the Philippines for another visit, a reminder of the renewed U.S.-Philippine naval cooperation following the closure of the permanent U.S. bases there in the early 1990s. After six months at sea conducting what the Navy described as missions in support of the nation's maritime strategy - forward presence, sea control, maritime security and power projection - HAMPTON returned to Naval Base Point Loma on December 18, 2013, where families greeted the crew at the pier.

Only a few months after that Western Pacific deployment, HAMPTON headed north for another Arctic evolution. In early 2014, she participated in Ice Exercise 2014 (ICEX 2014) in the Arctic Ocean alongside the VIRGINIA-class attack submarine USS NEW MEXICO (SSN 779). The two submarines operated from U.S. Navy Ice Camp Nautilus, a temporary camp set up on a drifting ice floe, conducting under-ice navigation, weapons system tests and surfacing drills through the polar ice. HAMPTON was photographed surfacing through the ice at the camp, highlighting the continued emphasis on Arctic proficiency as melting sea ice and increased Russian activity in the region made under-ice operations more strategically relevant again.

Soon afterwards, HAMPTON again turned toward the Western Pacific. On March 14, 2015, she left her San Diego homeport for an extended deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. Over the following seven months she steamed more than 41,000 nautical miles, conducting what the Navy described as routine patrols and operations in support of national security interests and maritime security operations. During this deployment, she completed several notable port calls. On June 8, 2015 she arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka for a visit, a port that hosts the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship and is central to U.S.-Japan naval cooperation. She also visited Okinawa and Sasebo in Japan, as well as Guam, reinforcing ties with key U.S. bases and allied ports around the first island chain. HAMPTON returned to San Diego on October 11, 2015, concluding the deployment. An official release a few days later emphasized both the distance traveled and the range of missions executed, all framed within the broader U.S. maritime strategy of forward presence and alliance assurance in the Indo-Pacific.

In early 2016, HAMPTON once again headed to the high north. According to Pacific Fleet announcements and later summarized timelines, she left San Diego in February 2016 to participate in Ice Exercise 2016 (ICEX 2016). On March 14, 2016, HAMPTON and USS HARTFORD (SSN 768), based in Groton, Connecticut, arrived at U.S. Navy Ice Camp Sargo, another temporary ice camp in the Arctic Ocean. During ICEX 2016 the two submarines conducted multiple Arctic transits, a North Pole surfacing, scientific data collection and tactical training under the ice. While the ice camp itself was scheduled to be disassembled and removed from the ice by late March, official releases noted that HAMPTON and HARTFORD would remain in the Arctic and continue under-ice operations into early April, reflecting the complexity and value of such exercises for navigation, communications and weapons employment in polar conditions.

Shortly after completing these Arctic operations, HAMPTON entered a period of more intensive maintenance. On May 18, 2016, she arrived in Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire, to begin work at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY), which specializes in depot-level overhaul and repair of nuclear submarines. Local press at the time noted her status as a 1993-commissioned LOS ANGELES-class attack submarine and highlighted the connection to the town of Hampton, New Hampshire, one of her four namesake communities. She remained at the shipyard for an extended maintenance availability, during which systems were upgraded and hull and mechanical work was carried out to keep the boat effective into the later years of her service life. After completion of this yard period she returned to San Diego and resumed operational service under Submarine Squadron 11. Public reporting from roughly 2017 to 2020 is sparse on specific deployments, but HAMPTON is consistently listed as an active San Diego-based attack submarine, indicating that she continued the standard pattern of training, certifications, shorter exercises and forward operations typical of the 688i boats in that era.

A new phase in HAMPTON's career became visible in 2021, when she again appeared prominently in Pacific operations. A photograph dated June 15, 2021 shows sailors assigned to HAMPTON departing Naval Base Point Loma as the submarine gets underway, and newsletters from the Naval Submarine League's Pacific Southwest Chapter describe her departure for another Western Pacific deployment in June 2021. During this cruise, she took part in an exercise that reflected changing concepts of submarine logistics. On October 22, 2021, the submarine tender USS FRANK CABLE, forward deployed to Guam, conducted an expeditionary torpedo reload exercise with HAMPTON off Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. A MK-48 inert training shape was transferred by crane and handled aboard the submarine in a demanding at-sea evolution, described as the first such expeditionary reload FRANK CABLE had conducted outside Guam since 2012. The drill demonstrated the ability to rearm attack submarines at austere locations in the theater without requiring them to return to a major base, a capability seen as increasingly important for dispersed operations in a potential high-end conflict in the Indo-Pacific. Throughout this deployment, HAMPTON continued to operate within the 7th Fleet area, carrying out missions that remain classified but form part of the broader U.S. undersea presence in the Western Pacific.

In parallel with these operations, HAMPTON also underwent periodic maintenance alongside the floating dry dock ARCO (ARDM 5) at Point Loma. Open-source compilations of submarine activity for 2022 note her undocking from ARCO during that year, indicating the completion of another maintenance period that likely included hull, propulsion and sonar system work. Such maintenance events are essential to sustaining the aging but still highly capable LOS ANGELES-class boats as newer VIRGINIA-class submarines gradually enter service.

The years 2023 and 2024 saw HAMPTON once again associated with Arctic operations and with experimentation in integrating manned submarines and unmanned systems. A Joint Force Quarterly article on Arctic operations includes a photograph from Exercise ARCTIC EDGE 2024, dated March 9, 2024, showing a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules overflying a group of U.S. Navy SEALs, Norwegian naval special operations forces and an attack submarine identified as USS HAMPTON on the surface, during training in Arctic conditions. ARCTIC EDGE is a recurring U.S. Northern Command exercise that brings together U.S. and allied forces in Alaska and adjacent Arctic waters. HAMPTON's participation illustrates continued use of the 688i boats in challenging polar environments and in support of joint and combined training with NATO partners such as Norway. Around the same time, material from the Arctic Submarine Laboratory refers to "Operation Ice Camp 2024", describing dual-ship testing at Camp WHALE in the Arctic Ocean together with an unassisted North Pole exercise. HAMPTON is listed as the submarine for that iteration, suggesting that she again undertook under-ice operations and a surfacing at or near the North Pole as part of the Navy's recurring Ice Camp series.

In October 2024, photographs released in connection with a Hudson Institute study on command, control and sensing showed a small unmanned undersea vehicle approaching HAMPTON at an undisclosed location on October 26, 2024. The image was used to illustrate the emerging concept of pairing crewed attack submarines with unmanned undersea systems to extend their sensing reach and complicate adversary defenses. Although the exact operational context of that evolution has not been publicly detailed, it indicates that HAMPTON was being used as a platform for experimenting with new undersea warfare concepts at a time of intensifying competition in the Western Pacific.

Shortly thereafter, HAMPTON again transitioned to the shipyard. On November 21, 2024, under the command of Commander Grant Wanier, she arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, for a scheduled maintenance period and system upgrades. The Navy and local media emphasized that the availability was intended to ensure the submarine remained capable of supporting missions ranging from forward presence and maritime security to sea control and deterrence. A feature from PNSY described her arrival with a complement of more than 130 crewmembers and noted the shipyard's role in sustaining LOS ANGELES-class attack submarines for continued service. In early 2025, photographs and a shipyard newsletter showed HAMPTON docking at PNSY and a plaque-hanging ceremony aboard, marking her presence as part of the yard's workload. On August 13, 2025, while she remained at the shipyard, a small fire broke out outside the submarine. It was quickly extinguished, with one person reported injured, and reports noted that damage was minor and that the maintenance availability continued.

back to top

go to the end of the page

USS HAMPTON Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me and show the HAMPTON arriving at Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on September 29, 2011. One day later, the submarine was at sea again.

The photos below were taken by me and show the HAMPTON at Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on May 10, 2012, shortly after un-docking from ARCO (ARDM 5).

The photos below were taken by me and show the HAMPTON at Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on October 4 (the first 2 photos) and October 11, 2012.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HAMPTON at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on December 27, 2014.

The photo below was taken by Sebastian Thoma and shows the HAMPTON at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on January 9, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HAMPTON dry-docked in ARCO (ARDM 5) at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on September 28, 2018.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HAMPTON at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on March 2, 2019.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HAMPTON at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on December 28, 2021.

back to top

Back to Submarines list.

Back to ships list.

Back to selection page.

Back to 1^st page.