1999 was spent conducting shakedown operations that evaluated Connecticut's weapons systems, sensors, stealth and engineering proficiency. She participated in Joint Task Force Exercise 2-99 as an opposing force asset, and completed acoustic trials, a shallow water exercise, and an anti-submarine warfare exercise. In September 1999 Connecticut began a Post-Shakedown Availability at the Electric Boat shipyard. Despite 100 percent growth in the amount of PSA work, making this the submarine force's most demanding PSA, Connecticut completed all work ahead of schedule. Additionally, this PSA concluded as the safest in the 100-year history of Electric Boat. In April 2003, Connecticut surfaced through the Arctic ice at the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station. While there, she came under attack by a polar bear, which gnawed on her rudder for a while before disengaging. On 31 March 2004 Connecticut put to sea in support of the War on Terrorism as part of the Expeditionary Strike Group, returning to NSB New London on 2 September with a pierside band blasting Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town". For the next three years, Connecticut was largely confined to port as she underwent a prolonged maintenance cycle. In early 2007, it was announced that the Connecticut would be transferred to Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, in Washington's Puget Sound, following a six-month deployment commencing on 25 July 2007. She would be the last of the Navy's three Seawolf-class submarines to be transferred from New London to Kitsap as part of a larger U.S. Navy realignment shifting 60 percent of the fleet's submarines to the Pacific. Upon arrival at Kitsap on 30 January 2008, the Connecticut joined her Seawolf sisters in Submarine Development Squadron Five. In early 2011, Connecticut participated in ICEX 2011 in order to "train today’s submarines in the challenging Arctic environment,” as well as "refine and validate procedures and required equipment." The Connecticut received extensive overhauls from 2012 to 2017 following extensive underways. After, she then returned to operation where In early 2018, Connecticut once again returned to the North to participate in ICEX 2018. She later that year deployed to the western Pacific before returning on January 30, 2019. From March 26 through August 19, 2019, the Connecticut underwent maintenance and modernizing in a drydock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The US $17 million project involved 30,000 worker days and included use of a hull-climbing robot to inspect the ship's hull. The Navy has plans to extend a submarine pier to be able to locate the Connecticut andUSS Seawolf together with the USS Jimmy Carter at the Bangor Theater.
