1968–1970 Sturgeon spent a month conducting refresher training and then began her
shakedown cruise on 3 April 1967, down the
United States East Coast and to Puerto Rico. She returned to Groton, for repairs, alterations, maintenance, and training until 18 September 1967, when she departed on extended operations. She returned to port on 2 October 1967, and was transferred to
Submarine Development Group 2. On 22 January 1968, she began a five-week
antisubmarine warfare (ASW) exercise to evaluate the relative effectiveness of and
attack submarines.
Sturgeon began a three-month post-shakedown period of alterations and repairs on 3 March 1968. When the
shipyard work was completed in June 1968, she participated in the search for the missing attack submarine in the vicinity of the
Azores. She spent July and August 1968, preparing for overseas deployment, then was deployed from September to early November 1968. She participated in tests and evaluation of a new
sonar detection device from December 1968 to February 1969. She visited the
United States Naval Academy at
Annapolis, Maryland, in March 1969, and then held an intensive training period for her crew before deploying from May to July 1969. In April 1969, she was awarded a
Meritorious Unit Commendation for outstanding service during a period in 1968.
Sturgeon participated in fleet submarine exercises in August and September 1969, and in a project for the
Chief of Naval Operations from 29 September to 31 October 1969. She was awarded a second Meritorious Unit Commendation, in December 1969, for her service during a period earlier in 1969. After training and preparation for another period at sea, she deployed from 29 January to 8 April 1970. In May and June 1970, she aided in evaluating aircraft antisubmarine warfare tactics and equipment. She spent the period from 1 July to 26 July 1970, in a submarine exercise, and from 15 August to 1 September 1970, in sound trials. On 5 October 1970, she began an overhaul at Groton, which lasted until 5 October 1971. While in the shipyard in December 1970,
Sturgeon was awarded the
Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service during a period earlier that year.
1971–1994 When
Sturgeon completed her overhaul in October 1971, she was transferred to
Submarine Squadron 10, based at
New London, Connecticut. She held refresher training and completed a shakedown cruise from 6 October to 15 December 1971. The period from 16 December 1971 through 16 January 1972, was a leave and upkeep period. She then participated in two ASW exercises before returning to Groton, for repairs and alterations, from 6 March to 27 May 1972. She conducted
sea trials until 15 July 1972, at which time she began a test on sonar systems which lasted until mid-December 1972.
Sturgeon spent the period from 1 January to 2 April 1973, conducting local operations in the area around
Narragansett Bay. On 3 April 1973, she departed for the Fleet Weapons Range in the
Caribbean. On 21 May 1973, she ran aground near
St. Croix, in the
United States Virgin Islands, while making . She sustained damage to her
bow and was forced to return to Groton, on 4 June 1973, to repair the damage.
Sturgeon returned to sea for local operations from 17 July to 1 October 1973, when she entered the
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, at
Kittery, Maine, to effect bow repairs. She remained in the shipyard until 22 April 1974. After sea trials, she returned to her
home port, New London, for a ten-day upkeep period. She operated from New London, until 13 August 1974, when she departed for
Norfolk, Virginia, to join other fleet units participating in
Atlantic Readiness Exercise 1-75. She then returned to New London, to hold local training exercises in preparation for an overseas movement.
Sturgeon stood out to sea on 29 November 1974, en route to the
Mediterranean, and a scheduled six-month deployment there with the
United States Sixth Fleet. She arrived in the Mediterranean, on 9 December 1974.
Sturgeon performed ICEX '89 in the late winter and early spring of 1989, surfacing through the ice in the Arctic Circle.
Sturgeon was undergoing a refit in
Charleston Naval Shipyard when
Hurricane Hugo struck
Charleston, South Carolina, on 21 September 1989, and was unable to leave the port during the storm. ==Decommissioning and disposal==