When the formidable weapon was launched underwater from a moving platform, it became invulnerable to counterattack. The Polaris eventually formed the backbone of the service’s nuclear force. Down the line, this missile was gradually replaced by more advanced SSBNS, notably the Trident I.

Following a brief stint at Cape Canaveral, Florida, where she successfully launched Polaris missiles, George Washington sailed for Naval Submarine Base New London at New London, Connecticut. Following a decade-long departure from Groton, George Washington returned to South Carolina for refueling, having cruised some 100,000 nautical miles out at sea.

Collision with Nissho Maru

In 1981, a Japanese freighter collided with the George Washington in the East China Sea, causing the cargo ship to sink.

While thirteen of the Japanese ships’ crew members were rescued from rafts, the captain and his first officer were killed. Japanese officials accused the Navy of waiting 36 hours before informing its government or armed forces of the incident.

According to a statement released by the Navy, George Washington and its ballistic missiles/nuclear reactor onboard were undamaged. Survivors disputed the Navy’s account of the incident.

As detailed by The New York Times, “Survivors also said the submarine surfaced briefly after the collision but then submerged a few minutes later. The United States Navy, however, said in its statement that the George Washington surfaced immediately after the collision to offer assistance but that the freighter had disappeared from sight in fog and rain. ”The submarine was unable to observe personnel casualties or damage to the Japanese vessel before it disappeared from view,” the Navy said.”

Final Deployments

Following the Nissho Maru incident, George Washington returned to Pearl Harbor for her last missile patrol. Her missiles were unloaded in compliance with the SALT II treaty in 1981. George Washington deployed to Pearl Harbor and the Panama Canal in her new role as an attack submarine.

She later participated in the 24^th UNITAS exercise, representing the U.S. Navy’s sole submarine. Following these exercises, George Washington escorted John F. Kennedy in a deployment that circumnavigated South America in 1984.

USS George Washington was officially stricken from the Naval Vessel Registry in 1986 and was subsequently disposed of through the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

About the Author: Maya Carlin 

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.