She is the fourth Los Angeles-class submarine equipped with the vertical launch system (VLS) capable of carrying 12 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles (TLAM).

Key West won the "TOP TORP" Torpedo Shooting Competition in 1992, and was later awarded the Submarine Squadron Eight Battle "E" for that year.

In April 1997, Key West conducted her first Pacific deployment with the Constellation Carrier Battle Group.

In 2012, Key West shifted home port to Naval Base Guam to support Seventh Fleet operations as a forward deployed unit.

On 31 October 2022, Key West arrived at Busan, South Korea for a scheduled port visit.

On 16 January 2023 Key West arrived at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and was placed in the reserve fleet to await decommissioning.

Specifically, the phrase "The Key to Freedom" represents the namesake city and the submarine's mission to protect the fundamental rights and liberties of the American people.

Additionally, "Ingenium" is a word used by the ancient Greek and Roman historians to describe the resourcefulness and ingenuity of sailors in the period.

[12] In the Tom Clancy novel Red Storm Rising, Key West participated in a cruise missile strike against the Soviet Union.