USS San Francisco ( SSN - 711 ) USS " San Francisco " ( SSN - 711 ) , a " Los Angeles " - class nuclear submarine , is the third ship or boat of the United States Navy to be named for San Francisco , California . History . The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News , Virginia , on 1 August 1975 and her keel was laid down on 26 May 1977 . She was launched on 27 October 1979 sponsored by Mrs Robert Y . Kaufman , and commissioned on 24 April 1981 , with Commander J . Allen Marshall in command . Following an initial shakedown cruise , " San Francisco " joined Submarine Force , US Pacific Fleet and moved to her homeport at Pearl Harbor . " San Francisco " completed deployments in 1982 , 1985 , and 1986 with the U . S . Seventh Fleet and various independent operations in the $ 3 in 1986 earning the Battle Efficiency " E " for Submarine Squadron Seven in 1985 . She earned a Navy Unit Commendation , a second Battle Efficiency " E " for Submarine Squadron Seven and her crew was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for independent operations in 1988 . " San Francisco " entered a Depot Modernization Period at Pearl Harbor from 1989 to 1990 and then went on to conduct deployments to the Western Pacific in 1992 and 1994 . The submarine was awarded the 1994 Commander Submarine Squadron Seven " T " for excellence in tactical operations and a Meritorious Unit Commendation for the 1994 Western Pacific deployment . On 18 December 2002 " San Francisco " arrived at her new homeport at Apra Harbor , Guam . The submarine is homeported at Naval Base Point Loma , San Diego , California since 2009 . Collision with seamount . On 8 January 2005 at 02 : 43 GMT , " San Francisco " collided with an undersea mountain about 675 kilometers ( 364 nautical miles , 420 statute miles ) southeast of Guam while operating at flank ( maximum ) speed at a depth of . The collision was so serious that the vessel was almost lost — accounts detail a desperate struggle for positive buoyancy to surface after the forward ballast tanks were ruptured . Twenty - three crewmen were injured , and Machinist ' s Mate Second Class Joseph Allen Ashley , 24 , of Akron , Ohio , died on 9 January from head injuries . Other injuries to the crew included broken bones , lacerations , and a back injury . " San Francisco " ’ s forward ballast tanks and her sonar dome were severely damaged , but her inner hull was not breached , and there was no damage to her nuclear reactor . She surfaced and , accompanied by the USCGC " Galveston Island " ( WPB - 1349 ) , USNS " GYSGT Fred W . Stockham " ( T - AK - 3017 ) , and USNS " Kiska " ( T - AE - 35 ) , as well as MH - 60S Knighthawk s and P - 3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft , arrived in Guam on 10 January . The U . S . Navy immediately stated that there was " absolutely no reason to believe that it struck another submarine or vessel . " Later , an examination of the submarine in drydock showed unmistakably that the submarine had indeed struck an undersea mountain which had only vague references on the charts available to " San Francisco " . Commander Kevin Mooney , " San Francisco " ’ s captain , was reassigned to a shore unit in Guam during the investigation of this collision . As the investigation concluded , the Navy found that , despite Mooney ' s otherwise remarkably good record , " several critical navigational and voyage planning procedures " were not being implemented aboard " San Francisco " . Consequently , the Navy relieved Mooney of his command , and also issued him a letter of reprimand . He was not charged with any crime , and he was not court - martial ed . Six crew members were also found guilty at their own non - judicial punishment hearings ( " Captain ' s Mast " ) of hazarding a vessel and dereliction of duty , and they were reduced in rank and given punitive letters of reprimand . For their actions in the crisis , twenty other officers and men received awards , including letters of commendation , the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal , the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal , and the Meritorious Service Medal . The seamount that " San Francisco " struck did not appear on the chart in use at the time of the accident , but other charts available for use indicated an area of " discolored water " , an indication of the probable presence of a seamount . The Navy determined that information regarding the seamount should have been transferred to the charts in use — particularly given the relatively uncharted nature of the ocean area that was being transited — and that the failure to do so represented a breach of proper procedures . Since " San Francisco " had recently had her nuclear fuel replaced , and thus she was expected to remain in - service until 2017 , the Navy determined that repair of this submarine was in its best interests . Temporary repairs were made in Guam to provide water - tight integrity and forward buoyancy , so that the boat could safely transit to another location for more extensive repairs . " San Francisco " steamed to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard ( PSNS ) in the State of Washington via Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , where she arrived on 26 August 2005 . In June 2006 , it was announced that " San Francisco " ’ s bow section would need to be replaced with that of the soon - to - be - retired USS " Honolulu " ( SSN - 718 ) at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard . Though " San Francisco " is four years older than " Honolulu " , she had been refueled and upgraded in 2000 – 2002 . The cost of her bow replacement has been estimated at $ 79 million , as compared with the estimated $ 170 million to refuel and overhaul the nuclear reactor of " Honolulu " . On 10 October 2008 , " San Francisco " undocked after a successful bow replacement at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard . The dry - docking project involved cutting more than one million pounds off the forward ballast tanks and sonar sphere of the former USS " Honolulu " and attaching it to " San Francisco " . After the completion of repairs and sea trials in April 2009 , " San Francisco " shifted homeport to Naval Base Point Loma , San Diego , California .