USS Hampton (SSN-767): A Namesake on the Seacoast

Four Hamptons, One Submarine

With Historia Emporium now operating from Hampton, New Hampshire, we have been reminded of a lesser-known local connection to the United States Navy: the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN-767). She is the fourth U.S. Navy vessel to carry the name Hampton, and unlike many ships named for a single place, SSN-767 was specifically named to honor four communities called Hampton:

• Hampton, Virginia
• Hampton, Iowa
• Hampton, South Carolina
• Hampton, New Hampshire

Although the Navy often refers to all four as "cities," only Hampton, Virginia is technically a city; Hampton, New Hampshire is a town on the Seacoast---and it is the Hampton our business now calls home.

Each of the four namesake communities is represented by one of the four stars on the submarine's crest. The crest's stars also recall earlier Navy ships that bore the name Hampton.

About USS Hampton (SSN-767)

USS Hampton is a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine---part of the 688-class boats that formed the backbone of the U.S. submarine force from the late Cold War through the 21st century. She is an improved 688i variant, incorporating advances in quieting and combat systems compared with the earliest boats in the class.

Key facts:

• Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
• Keel laid: 2 March 1990
• Launched: 3 April 1992
• Commissioned: 6 November 1993
• Class: Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine (SSN)
• Armament: torpedo tubes and vertical-launch Tomahawk cruise missiles
• Motto: Qui Desiderant Pacem Preparate Bellum --- "Those who desire peace prepare for war" (Vegetius)

Like her sisters, Hampton is designed for a broad mission set: anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, strike operations, intelligence gathering, and surveillance. Los Angeles-class boats have deployed worldwide and have played a sustained role in U.S. maritime strategy from the Gulf War era forward.

Hampton, New Hampshire and the Seacoast Connection

Hampton, New Hampshire has long ties to the sea. Settled in the 17th century, the town sits on the Atlantic coast between Portsmouth and the Massachusetts border---part of a region where shipbuilding, fishing, and naval activity have shaped local life for generations.

That regional link is more than symbolic. USS Hampton has visited the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, on the Piscataqua River opposite Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for maintenance and certification work---bringing one of her namesake communities into direct contact with the boat that carries its name. For Seacoast residents and visitors, it is a striking reminder that a town of modest size can share a name with a front-line warship serving on the other side of the country---or, on occasion, right in the neighborhood.

On 8 March 2025, Hampton successfully dry-docked at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for scheduled maintenance and system upgrades as part of the Navy's service-life extension program. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is the Navy's center of excellence for attack-submarine overhaul, repair, and modernization---work that keeps Los Angeles-class boats like Hampton ready for deployment long after commissioning.

Local recognition of the connection appears in small but telling ways. A submarine silhouette and the designation "SSN USS HAMPTON 767" have been displayed in town, a quiet point of pride for residents who know that their Hampton is one of only four American communities honored on the boat's crest.

The Earlier Ships Named Hampton

Before SSN-767, three U.S. Navy vessels carried the name Hampton:

• A tug that served in World War II
• USS Hampton (PCS-1368), an anti-submarine training vessel named for Hampton, South Carolina
• USS Hampton (APA-115), an amphibious transport named for Hampton County, South Carolina

SSN-767 thus continues a name with both Civil War and World War II associations, while representing a new generation of undersea capability.

Modeling the Los Angeles Class

No manufacturer offers a kit labeled specifically for USS Hampton, but because she is a 688i Los Angeles-class boat, modelers can build a representative submarine using generic kits of the class. At Historia Emporium we stock several options for submarine enthusiasts, including:

• HobbyBoss 83530 US Submarine Los Angeles 688/VLS/688I 1/350 Scale Model Kit --- a 3-in-1 kit that can be built as an original 688, a VLS-equipped boat, or a 688i
• HobbyBoss 87014 US Submarine Los Angeles SSN-688 1/700 Scale Plastic Model Kit

Collectors looking for a ship literally named Hampton in 1/1250 scale will find the Neptun 1195 British Net Layer Hampton 1940---a Royal Navy auxiliary from a very different era, and not related to the American submarine.

History Close to Home

Historia Emporium has always been about history in miniature---ships, aircraft, armor, and the stories behind them. Settling into Hampton, New Hampshire after our recent move, we are glad to share a namesake with USS Hampton (SSN-767): a modern attack submarine honoring four American Hamptons, including the town where we now work and ship orders every day.

Explore submarines, ships, and more at www.greathistorygifts.com---only at Historia Emporium, where history comes alive in miniature.

June 26, 2026 | Categories: Military History | Tags: USS Hampton, SSN-767, Los Angeles Class, US Navy, Submarine, Hampton NH, Seacoast NH, Cold War, Naval History