USS Philadelphia ( SSN - 690 ) USS " Philadelphia " ( SSN - 690 ) , a " Los Angeles " - class attack submarine , was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton , Connecticut on 8 January 1971 and her keel was laid down on 12 August 1972 . She was launched on 19 October 1974 sponsored by Mrs . Hugh Scott , and commissioned on 25 June 1977 , with Commander Robert B . Osborne in command . In 1988 , " Philadelphia " became the first submarine to receive TLAM - D capability . In 1994 , " Philadelphia " completed the first refueling overhaul of a " Los Angeles " - class submarine . This was completed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery , Maine . In 1998 , " Philadelphia " was modified to carry a Dry Deck Shelter ( DDS ) . On 5 September 2005 " Philadelphia " was in the Persian Gulf about northeast of Bahrain when she collided with a Turkish merchant ship , . No injuries were reported on either vessel . Damage to the submarine was described as " superficial . " The " Philadelphia ' s " Commanding Officer , CDR Steven M . Oxholm , was relieved following the incident . The Turkish ship suffered minor damage to her hull just above the water line , which the United States Coast Guard inspected and found still seaworthy . In 2006 , " Philadelphia " completed the first - ever Pre - Inactivation Restricted Availability ( PIRA ) conducted at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery , Maine . On 20 July 2009 the US Navy announced that the submarine would be inactivated on 10 June 2010 and decommissioned at an undetermined later date . Deployments . " Philadelphia " performed many patrols and deployments during her career . She was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in 1979 , 1982 , 1986 , 1991 ( where she later went on to support Operation Desert Storm ) , 1999 , 2001 , 2003 , 2005 , 2007 , and 2009 , the last three of which also involved operations in support of CENTCOM . She performed a single Western Pacific deployment in 1980 . She also spent a fair amount of time in the Atlantic Ocean , including deployments to the Northern part of the Ocean in 1983 , 1992 , 1996 , 1997 , and 1999 , and one Eastern Atlantic deployment in 1989 . Awards . Over the course of her career , the " Philadelphia " received many awards . Among the ribbons and medals her crew earned were the Navy Unit Commendation in 1983 ; the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1987 , 1989 , 1999 , and 2003 ; the Battle Efficiency " E " Ribbon in 1983 , 1990 , 1996 , 1997 , 1998 , 2001 , 2003 , and 2007 ; The Navy Expeditionary Medal in 2005 ; and the Southwest Asia Service Medal in 1991 . In terms of other awards given to the ship in terms of excellence from her crew in individual departments , she was awarded the Ney Memorial Award for Outstanding Food Service in 1983 , an award for which she was also a finalist in 1996 ; the " A " Award for Outstanding Anti - Submarine Warfare in 1987 , 1988 , 1989 , and 1991 ; the Communications Green " C " in 1998 , 1999 , 2005 , and 2007 ; the Tactical White " T " in 1999 and 2000 ; the Damage Control Red " DC " in 1999 and 2005 ; the Deck " D " in 2000 ' the Engineering Excellence " E " in 2001 and 2006 ; the Supply Blue " E " in 2001 and 2006 ; and the Medical Yellow " M " in 2005 . Furthermore , the " Philadelphia " was awarded the COMSUBLANT Battenberg Cup Nominee for Best All Around Unit in 1996 , the CINCLANTFLT Golden Anchor Award in 1990 , and the CINCLANTFLT Silver Anchor Award in 1997 and 1998 . In Popular Culture . The " Philadelphia " was seen in the " NCIS " episode " Sub Rosa " as the submarine where Agents Leroy Jethro Gibbs ( Mark Harmon ) and Caitlin Todd ( Sasha Alexander ) were deployed in order to stop the release of a deadly gas into the submarine ' s air conditioning system .