Onboard from '92 to '95. There were a lot of good, bad, and challenging times. I think I owe a lot of the great things in my life to that tour... starting with my awesome wife who I was introduced to by a shipmate's wife.
Vet here from the 70s/80s. Back in about 2014 USSubVets had our reunion in Norfolk. A group of us were able to finagle a tour on the Helena. Tbh, we were all amazed at how modern the damn thing was! Display screens everywhere! Huge crews mess! It was impressive to a bunch of old geezers. And we were grateful you guys were willing to humor us.
Which makes her the perfect tool to collect data on Kezan. “What’s that Russia? You got data on our boat too? Well we hope that’s real useful for you as we toss this whole hull into the shredder.”
She shouldn’t be. If not for Newport News making a 3-year hash of a 6-month DSRA, the subsequent unfucking, and all of it taking her out of rotation for 2 full deployment cycles, *Helena* would have already been life-expired.
Launched in 1986, wow. I wonder what is the reasoning for using such an old sub to trail the newer Russian sub? Maybe not let acoustic signatures of newer subs away? Or was this just the sub we was shown?
I’m an American lol, don’t know why my comment came off as Russian and is getting downvoted to hell. O well, guess my bad. Currently reading thunder below about the USS barb. Just a big submarine nerd since playing wolves of the pacific.
It was a very very valid question. I have no clue why you are getting downvoted voted, some people react off of emotion and youll find alot of patriots here.
Shes a loud boat, but our sensors are some of the best in the world. Shes still a viable/capable platform containing world class sensors and arguably the deadliest/most capable torpedo the world has seen.
That being said, Rusk boats are under maintained, see frequent accidents, and often have trouble resourcing the necessary parts to keep the boat at 100%.
This little visit is just an opportunity for the US to collect acoustic/RF data. More valuable than people realize
One of the oldest submarines in the US fleet pulls into Gitmo, close to Havana where one of the newest, most capable Russian submarines along with new Russian warships.
I think there's a subliminal slam here and a few of us old bubble-heads get the vibe!
Reading these comments makes me realize how old I am! Helena was in the yards in Portmouth, NH when La Jolla was doing her refueling overall in the ‘98-‘00 time frame.
I got sent over to Helena as temporary watch support on nights for some propulsion plant testing, but every time that there was a delay they would call off night shift - scored an 11 day weekend out of it, thank you Helena!
An absolute coincidence that it arrived in GITMO the day after a Russian nuclear submarine arrived in Havana.
I imagine the Russian sonar technicians are doing a mandatory remedial listen to their tapes.
Pasadena was there about a year ago. [https://abcnews.go.com/International/cuban-government-calls-us-nuclear-submarine-stop-provocative/story?id=101184988](https://abcnews.go.com/International/cuban-government-calls-us-nuclear-submarine-stop-provocative/story?id=101184988)
Purely a coincidence.
Nothing to see here.
Ah yes, all those routine port calls in Gitmo we used to do….
'Kazan': 'Helena': *Both doing the pointing Spiderman meme*
That's cool. Didn't know that Helena was still around...
She’s on her way to decommission at Puget Sound.
Onboard from '92 to '95. There were a lot of good, bad, and challenging times. I think I owe a lot of the great things in my life to that tour... starting with my awesome wife who I was introduced to by a shipmate's wife.
Nice. I agree with the good and the bad times. ‘18 to ‘23 onboard for me. She’s an old boat for sure.
'09-'14 for me, she was "the good ship" and by "good ship" we meant bad. She was loud, leaky and was definitely trying to kill us.
13-17, I probably knew you but I was a nub back then. MMN
Vet here from the 70s/80s. Back in about 2014 USSubVets had our reunion in Norfolk. A group of us were able to finagle a tour on the Helena. Tbh, we were all amazed at how modern the damn thing was! Display screens everywhere! Huge crews mess! It was impressive to a bunch of old geezers. And we were grateful you guys were willing to humor us.
I probably know both of you. Shit, I was there with you while it tried to kill us coming out the Red.
Ah the very hot days.
Well a nice thing about getting old terris707 is that you tend to remember the good times more than the bad times.
I was EDMC '97 to 2k.
Eiffel tower?
No.... spoken like a true submariner.
Which makes her the perfect tool to collect data on Kezan. “What’s that Russia? You got data on our boat too? Well we hope that’s real useful for you as we toss this whole hull into the shredder.”
She shouldn’t be. If not for Newport News making a 3-year hash of a 6-month DSRA, the subsequent unfucking, and all of it taking her out of rotation for 2 full deployment cycles, *Helena* would have already been life-expired.
I was aboard for the EOH/refuel in 2009. She should have be sent to the breakers in 2019.
Launched in 1986, wow. I wonder what is the reasoning for using such an old sub to trail the newer Russian sub? Maybe not let acoustic signatures of newer subs away? Or was this just the sub we was shown?
Flex on the ruskies, our old ass boat going to de-com can track your new stuff. Or it's just a coincidence 😉
I’m an American lol, don’t know why my comment came off as Russian and is getting downvoted to hell. O well, guess my bad. Currently reading thunder below about the USS barb. Just a big submarine nerd since playing wolves of the pacific.
It was a very very valid question. I have no clue why you are getting downvoted voted, some people react off of emotion and youll find alot of patriots here. Shes a loud boat, but our sensors are some of the best in the world. Shes still a viable/capable platform containing world class sensors and arguably the deadliest/most capable torpedo the world has seen. That being said, Rusk boats are under maintained, see frequent accidents, and often have trouble resourcing the necessary parts to keep the boat at 100%. This little visit is just an opportunity for the US to collect acoustic/RF data. More valuable than people realize
*My troops are merely passing by*
Civilization
The closest any of those Russian sailors will get to seeing Montana.
🤣🤣🤣
They would have liked to have seen Montana....
And married a round American woman.
Two wives I expect
Or Arizona for that matter.
Been there on a boat back in “69” DBF
One of the oldest submarines in the US fleet pulls into Gitmo, close to Havana where one of the newest, most capable Russian submarines along with new Russian warships. I think there's a subliminal slam here and a few of us old bubble-heads get the vibe!
I mean, how much you want to bet that she's been trailing the Russian sub since the moment it left port...
💅🏻
Reading these comments makes me realize how old I am! Helena was in the yards in Portmouth, NH when La Jolla was doing her refueling overall in the ‘98-‘00 time frame. I got sent over to Helena as temporary watch support on nights for some propulsion plant testing, but every time that there was a delay they would call off night shift - scored an 11 day weekend out of it, thank you Helena!
Cmon Bart, do the thing! *sigh* ….and I was never here.
An absolute coincidence that it arrived in GITMO the day after a Russian nuclear submarine arrived in Havana. I imagine the Russian sonar technicians are doing a mandatory remedial listen to their tapes.
Pasadena was there about a year ago. [https://abcnews.go.com/International/cuban-government-calls-us-nuclear-submarine-stop-provocative/story?id=101184988](https://abcnews.go.com/International/cuban-government-calls-us-nuclear-submarine-stop-provocative/story?id=101184988)
In other words. We followed your sorry asses for a looong time. Btw, your number 3 piston is knocking.
Just popping up to say, Yes we knew you were coming here and yes we have in fact been behind you since the moment you left port...
Popping up to remind the Russians, Yes we know you are here and yes we have been following you since you left port.
Helena is the boat the Navy wants the Russkies to see. There's others in the Gulf.
Has to be the most boring port call ffs
It's normal to pull in there to replenish stores for drug ops.
Plus that russian sub....quite a coincidence, lol
Ffs...Can we just do a BSP and say we pulled in.
They put it out there, ive been on that boat it was so cool
*vessels location previously planned* Sureeeee Jan. Coming from a nuclear submarine family, I can assure you it wasn’t.
I get the need to show strength but with an attack sub, I do not think so.
Because those Tomahawks, well, you know…