__NOTOC__ A moored training ship (MTS) is a United States Navy nuclear powered submarine that has been converted to a training ship for the Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) at Naval Support Activity Charleston in South Carolina. The Navy uses decommissioned nuclear submarines and converts them to MTSs to train personnel in the operation and maintenance of submarines and their nuclear reactors. The first moored training ship was a fleet ballistic missile submarine, redesignated as (MTS-635) in 1989, followed a year later by , a ballistic missile submarine, redesignated as (MTS-626). Conversion of these two boats took place at the Charleston Naval Shipyard and modifications included special mooring arrangements with a mechanism to absorb power generated by the main propulsion shaft.
The Navy added two more moored training ships to this facility, and , a pair of attack submarines. The conversions for these two took place at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and then were towed to NPTU Charleston. La Jolla became inactive in early 2015 and began the 32 month conversion to a training ship. Changes include having the hull cut into three sections, with the center section being recycled and the other two joined with three new sections, manufactured by Electric Boat, extending the overall length by 23 m (76 ft). The project was expected to be completed by the end of 2018. San Francisco arrived at Norfolk to begin her conversion in January 2018. La Jolla arrived at NPTU Charleston in 2019 and San Francisco arrived in 2021.
With the addition of La Jolla and San Francisco, the Navy retired Sam Rayburn and Daniel Webster. Sam Rayburn was towed to Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 2021 to be inactivated, and Daniel Webster will also be inactivated at Norfolk, sometime later.
Moored training ships Name Hull number Builder Ship class Laid down Launched Commissioned Reclassified as MTS Inactivated as MTSSSBN-635Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.3 December 196220 December 19632 December 196431 July 19891 April 2021SSBN-626General Dynamics Electric Boat28 December 196127 April 19639 April 196430 August 1990December 2023SSN-701General Dynamics Electric Boat16 October 197611 August 197924 October 198115 November 2019ActiveSSN-711Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.26 May 197727 October 197924 April 198116 August 2021Active
See also
United States Navy Nuclear Propulsion Nuclear marine propulsion United States naval reactors List of United States Naval reactors Hulk (ship type)
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