‘Hull swap’ moves submarines, but not their crews, to new homeports

Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Wyoming arrived at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Wash., and USS Pennsylvania moved earlier to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga.

Two Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines exchanged crews and homeports in a “hull swap.” Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Wyoming transits the Puget Sound on Oct. 1 before mooring at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Silverdale, Wash., completing a hull swap with Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Pennsylvania. (Ryan Riley/U.S. Navy) Two Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines exchanged crews and homeports in a “hull swap” that the Navy said would put the more modern missile boat in the Pacific Northwest. USS Wyoming arrived at its new homeport of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Wash., on Thursday, the Navy said. It was commissioned in July 1996. USS Pennsylvania arrived earlier in the day to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga.

It was commissioned in September 1989. In a normal homeport change, a vessel and its crew move from one location to another. Under a hull swap, the two vessels change homeports, but the crews and their families remain at their original duty station. Sailors take on the same roles on their new boat. “The operation eliminated the need for most assigned sailors to move across the country, underscoring the Navy’s commitment to both its critical national security mission and the provision of geographical preference for service members and their families,” the Navy said in a statement. Both submarines carry Trident II D5 sea-launched ballistic missiles, armed