USS Chicago ( SSN - 721 ) USS " Chicago " ( SSN - 721 ) is a " Los Angeles " - class submarine , the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Chicago , Illinois . The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News , Virginia on 13 August 1981 and her keel was laid down on 5 January 1983 . She was launched on 13 October 1984 sponsored by Mrs . Vicki Ann Paisley , wife of Melvyn R . Paisley assistant Secretary of the Navy , and commissioned on 27 September 1986 , with Commander Robert Avery in command . Ship ' s History . Early in 1996 , an RQ - 1 Predator aerial reconnaissance drone was successfully controlled from " Chicago " . The drone reached altitudes up to 6000 meters ( 20 , 000 ft ) and ranged up to 185 kilometers ( 100 nmi . ) from the submarine , which was operating at periscope depth . In the summer of 2005 , " Chicago " tested the Virtual Periscope , a system that would allow submerged submarines to observe the surface above them without having to come to a shallower depth , as is required by traditional periscope s . A small camera mounted on the sail of the submarine uses the surface of the ocean as a lens , collecting light from above the surface and refracting it below . High - speed signal processing software assembles an image of what is on the surface . The system ' s resolution does not allow ship identification , only indicating that something is on the surface . Objects 30 meters ( 100 feet ) tall can be seen at about a distance of 1600 meters ( one mile ) . Sufficient light is available when a camera is shallower than 30 to 60 meters ( 100 to 200 feet ) . On 15 March 2010 the sub ' s Captain , Commander Jeff Cima , was relieved of command after facing an Admirals ' s Mast . The mast found that Cima had been drunk and had acted in an " unbecoming " manner during a visit with NROTC midshipmen at Cornell University on 10 March 2010 . Cima was temporarily replaced by Captain James Horten . After completing a two - year maintenance and upgrade period at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in October 2011 , " Chicago " arrived in April 2012 at her new homeport , assigned to Submarine Squadron 15 , based at Joint Region Marianas on the island of Guam . The current commanding officer of the USS Chicago is CDR Nick Tilbrook . Awards . The USS " Chicago " has earned multiple awards in its service life . Chicago has been awarded many unit awards , including the Navy Unit Commendation , three Meritorious Unit Commendation s and four Navy " E " Ribbon Submarine Squadron Battle ' E ' s . Further , the " Chicago " has been awarded several campaign and service awards , including the Navy Expeditionary Medal , National Defense Medal , Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal , two Southwest Asia Service Medal s , three Sea Service Ribbon s , Kuwait Liberation Medal ( Saudi Arabia ) , and the Kuwait Liberation Medal ( Kuwait ) Further , one of the barracks buildings at Recruit Training Command is named after the " Chicago " . In Fiction . USS " Chicago " plays a prominent role in Tom Clancy ' s novel " Red Storm Rising " . USS " Chicago " is seen deploying elements of Task Force 141 in the " Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 " mission " The Only Easy Day . . . Was Yesterday " .