USS Archerfish ( SSN - 678 ) USS " Archerfish " ( SSN - 678 ) , a " Sturgeon " - class attack submarine , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the archerfish , a family ( " Toxotidae " ) of fish notable for their habit of preying on insects and other animals by shooting them down with squirts of water from the mouth . Construction and commissioning . The contract to build " Archerfish " was awarded on 25 June 1968 and her keel was laid down on 19 June 1969 at Groton , Connecticut , by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation . She was launched on 16 January 1971 , sponsored by Miss Mary Conover Warner , and commissioned at her home port , New London , Connecticut , on 17 December 1971 with Commander Ralph Gordon Bird in command . Service history . 1971 – 1972 . Following her commissioning , " Archerfish " proceeded to Newport , Rhode Island , in late January 1972 and then to the Caribbean Sea for shakedown training . She held acoustic sea trials in Exuma Sound in the Bahama Islands and weapons systems acceptance trials at Roosevelt Roads off Puerto Rico , and at St . Croix in the United States Virgin Islands . She carried out tests off the Bahamas in April and May 1972 . From 5 to 15 June 1972 , " Archerfish " participated in North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) Exercise " Pink Lace " in the mid - Atlantic Ocean . In August 1972 , she took part in Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 1 – 73 . On 5 September 1972 , she began post - shakedown repairs and alterations in the Electric Boat Division shipyard at Groton , where she received extensive modifications and new equipment . She left the shipyard on 26 October and spent the rest of 1972 in local operations and preparation for her first overseeas deployment . 1973 . On 6 January 1973 , " Archerfish " left Groton and shaped a course for the Mediterranean Sea . During her deployment there , she conducted two special operations and visited Rota , Spain , and Naples , Italy . Her deployment concluded with her arrival at Naval Submarine Base New London , Connecticut , on 19 June 1973 . " Archerfish " got underway again in August 1973 , bound for the Bahama Islands to participate in Atlantic Submarine Exercise KILO 1 – 74 . She provided services in support of a special project under the direction of the Chief of Naval Operations in the western Atlantic Ocean during the last half of September 1973 . She then traveled to a testing range off the Bahamas , held torpedo certification trials , and arrived at New London on 12 October 1973 for extensive training in preparation for her second overseas deployment . 1974 . " Archerfish " left New London on 7 January 1974 for special operations in the North Atlantic Ocean . During this cruise , she visited Faslane Naval Base , Scotland , before returning to New London on 8 March 1974 . Following upkeep , she voyaged to the Narragansett Bay in early May 1974 to carry out sonar evaluation projects . On 27 May 1074 , she proceeded to Port Everglades , Florida , for further testing . She then continued on to the Caribbean to take part in Atlantic Submarine Exercise KILO 2 – 74 near the Bahamas . On 10 June 1974 , " Archerfish " arrived at New London and began testing and evaluating new sonar equipment . " Archerfish " departed New London for the Bahamas once again on 9 September 1974 to participate in Atlantic Submarine Exercise KILO 1 – 75 . Upon its completion she took part in naval mine testing near Port Everglades . She returned to the Caribbean on 30 October 1974 for torpedo proficiency firings . From 5 November to 18 November 1974 , she participated in Submarine Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 1 – 75 and then returned to New London for a period of leave and upkeep . 1975 . In February and March 1975 , " Archerfish " carried out special operations in the western Atlantic Ocean . She then took part in Operation Agate Punch , which involved the development and utilization of tactics in direct support of other ships of the United States Atlantic Fleet , from 14 April to 28 April 1975 . During the summer months of 1975 , " Archerfish " carried out a deployment in the western Atlantic Ocean , which also included a port call at Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada . In November and December 1975 , she was involved in two additional tactical development exercises , RANGEX 2 – 76 and SECEX 3 – 75 . She also conducted torpedo tests . 1976 . After a period of holiday leave and upkeep and the end of 1975 and beginning of 1976 , " Archerfish " took part in Submarine Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 1 – 76 in February 1976 before commencing a deployment to the North Atlantic Ocean in March 1976 . During April and May 1976 , she carried out independent operations and returned to New London in June . She then moved to Portsmouth , Virginia , where she began overhaul at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 7 July 1976 . 1977 – 1979 . During her post - overhaul sea trials in May 1977 , " Archerfish " s home port was changed from New London to Naval Station Norfolk at Norfolk , Virginia , on 12 May 1977 . " Archerfish " began post - overhaul shakedown on 8 June 1977 . She held torpedo proficiency firings and made port visits at Port Everglades and Port Canaveral , Florida . She returned to Norfolk on 8 July 1977 and began upkeep . " Archerfish " got underway again on 21 August 1977 for a cruise during which she hosted a class of prospective commanding officer s . She also carried out torpedo tests and made a stop at Port Everglades . " Archerfish " arrived at Norfolk on 6 September 1977 , but quickly put to sea again on 12 September , bound for the West Indies to conduct torpedo test firings off the Bahamas and to perform special sonar tests in the Atlantic Ocean . Upon returning to Norfolk on 28 September 1977 , " Archerfish " began preparations for an overseas deployment in the Mediterranean . She left Norfolk on 12 December 1977 crossed the Atlantic , spent the Christmas holidays in port at Lisbon , Portugal , and entered the Mediterranean Sea on 28 December 1977 . While operating with the United States Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean , she participated in Chief of Naval Operation Project " Over the Horizon Testing " and , during March 1978 took part in Exercise " Dogfish . " She concluded her deployment with her arrival at Norfolk in May 1978 . Between 2 July and 4 August 1978 , " Archerfish " conducted a midshipman training cruise on 23 August 1978 and began participation in Exercise Northern Wedding , a NATO exercise that occupied her through 8 October 1978 . She then returned to Norfolk for leave and upkeep followed by preparations for cold - weather drills in early 1979 . " Archerfish " got underway for the Arctic on 14 March 1979 . During her cruise there she traveled over under the polar ice cap and surfaced through it 23 times , once at the North Pole . " Archerfish " arrived in Plymouth , England , on 11 May 1979 for a six - day visit and then proceeded to Zeebrugge , Belgium . She left Belgium on 21 May 1979 bound for New London , which had once again become her home port , on 5 June 1979 . In mid - July 1979 , " Archerfish " entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery , Maine , for a repairs and alterations . She got underway again on 3 October 1979 and headed to the West Indies for acoustic trials and weapons testing . She arrived at New London on 21 November 1979 and ended the year there in upkeep . 1980 . On 23 January 1980 , " Archerfish " got underway to take part in RANGEX 1 – 80 , a multi - ship antisubmarine warfare exercise held in the Atlantic Ocean . She returned to New London on 10 February 1980 and remained there until proceeding to Hampton Roads , Virginia , in mid - March 1980 to enter the Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard at Newport News , Virginia , for the replacement of a sonar dome . That work was completed on 1 April 1980 , and " Archerfish " returned to New London to prepare for another deployment . On 23 May 1980 , " Archerfish " left New London for the North Atlantic Ocean to conduct special operations . During the cruise , she made port calls in Norway and West Germany before returning to New London on 25 August 1980 . " Archerfish " returned to the West Indies in mid - October 1980 for torpedo testing off the Bahamas . She paused at Norfolk for deperming before returning to New London on 30 October 1980 . She got underway on 17 November 1980 to take part in Atlantic Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 2 – 81 . Upon completing the exercise on 26 November 1980 , she returned to New London to begin a series of inspections . 1981 – 1986 . " Archerfish " continued operations from New London into early 1981 . During 1981 and 1982 , she alternated two spring deployments to the Mediterranean Sea with normal operations out of New London during the autumn and winter . In February 1983 , she began a regular overhaul at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Kittery , Maine . The extended repair period lasted until October 1984 at which time she resumed duty out of New London , Connecticut . Those operations included a North Atlantic deployment in 1985 and a deployment to the polar icecap in 1986 , where she met up with USS Hawkbill ( SSN - 666 ) and USS Ray ( SSN - 653 ) to join in the first tri - submarine surfacing at the North Pole . 1987 – 1998 . Archerfish continued local operations until summer 1987 , when she was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea . Her next major deployment was in 1988 when she participated in under ice operations at the North Pole . In September 1988 , Archerfish sailed to Puget Sound , Washington where she was drydocked and overhauled . Here she was fitted with a Dry Deck Shelter . After overhaul she did four Mediterranean Sea deployments from 1992 – 1997 . Decommissioning and disposal . " Archerfish " was decommissioned on 31 March 1998 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register the same day . Her scrapping via the U . S . Navys Nuclear - Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton , Washington , was completed on 6 November 1998 .