On 18 February 1971, Spadefish got underway for her second deployment in the Atlantic, visiting Faslane, Scotland, before returning to Norfolk on 18 April 1971.

She operated in the Norfolk area for the remainder of 1971, participating in antisubmarine warfare exercises and attack submarine training.

At the end of June 1973, she spent a week at the Isle of Portland in England, and, in July 1973, returned to the U.S. East Coast.

At the beginning of September 1973, she commenced a major overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia.

The 1996 deployment began at Pier 21 in Norfolk and ended at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.