Submarine History - USS TRITON (SSRN-586) Completes First Submerged Circumnavigation

On this day in 1960, USS Triton (SSRN-586) began the first submerged circumnavigation of the world.

This 84-day trip, known as Operation Sandblast, proved that nuclear propulsion could provide amazing underwater endurance and sustained high speeds.

Triton followed the same track sailed by the famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan during his voyage in 1519:

The voyage was also used to collect oceanographic data for scientists to review. The submarine service has a long and storied history of scientific discovery and co-operation, a history that continues to this day.