USS Albuquerque (SSN-706) FLT I Submarine Model. Sail again with the crew of the USS Albuquerque (SSN-706) FLT I in this handcrafted wooden Submarine Model. Each piece is carved from wood and handpainted to provide a piece you’ll love. Length – 20 inches. US Veteran Owned Business. The product is not intended to be used by children 12 years and younger. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 31 October 1973 and her keel was laid down on 27 December 1979. She was launched on 13 March 1982 sponsored by Mrs. Domenici, and commissioned on 21 May 1983. At the beginning of 1984, Albuquerque reentered Electric Boat Shipyard for post-shakedown availability, returning to sea on 15 April. In May, she transited to the Florida coast for weapons and combat systems certifications. During the summer, she participated in a fleet exercise and took part in a midshipman training cruise. In August, Albuquerque began normal operations from her home port. October and November brought extended operations at sea in the Atlantic Ocean, and, in December, she underwent additional repairs at Electric Boat. Albuquerque began 1985 with sonar training and weapons systems drills in her local operating area. In February, she completed preparations for a two-month patrol that began on 27 February, returning home at the beginning of May. Operations along the East Coast occupied her time until mid-June when Albuquerque went back to sea. Albuquerque resumed local operations out of her home port in December. On 14 January 1986, Albuquerque entered Electric Boat Shipyard for a two-month restricted availability. In March, she began alternating between local evolutions and upkeep in her home port until late May. Between 19 May and 14 September, Albuquerque remained at sea, making port calls in Scotland and England. Upkeep at New London, Connecticut, took up the period between 24 November and 7 December and an ASW exercise consumed most of December. In 1999, Albuquerque participated in a six-month Mediterranean cruise as a part of the USS Theodore Roosevelt battlegroup. Albuquerque completed this Tomahawk mission with a 100% success rate. Albuquerque was commended for being the fastest and most cost-effective Engineered Refueling Overhaul (ERO) in history during the shipyard period, 22.3 months in length. The rest of 2003 was spent conducting local operations, an ORSE, and a weapons system upgrade. This included a two-month overseas surge deployment with a port call in Rota, Spain. Albuquerque conducted a six-month deployment as part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group from 13 October 2004 to 12 April 2005. During this deployment, Albuquerque was awarded the Squadron 2 Battle Efficiency Award for 2004. Albuquerque was homeported in Groton, Connecticut, as part of Submarine Group 2. Alleged treason and espionage by crew member In July 2005, a fire-control technician named Ariel Weinmann deserted from Albuquerque and remained at large until he was arrested in 2006. In addition to desertion, he was charged with espionage, larceny, and destruction of government property. On 6 August 2009, Albuquerque completed her change of homeport from Groton, Connecticut, to Naval Base Point Loma in order to maintain 60 percent of the submarine force in the Pacific in line with the 2006 QDR. The deployment covered more than 40,000 nautical miles and included port visits in Brisbane, Australia; Yokosuka, Japan; and Guam. Australian, and Canadian navies, Albuquerque took part in exercise Talisman Sabre 2011. Albuquerque sailed into Puget sound on 28 October 2015 after her inactivation in San Diego on 16 October 2015. [13] She was decommissioned on 27 February 2017.