Navy Announces Christening of Submarine Hawaii

Navy NewsStand ^ | Special release from the U.S. Department of Defense

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy’s newest attack submarine Hawaii will be christened June 17 during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Conn.

The third submarine of the Virginia class, SSN 776 will bear the name Hawaii to recognize the tremendous support the Navy has enjoyed from the people of the 50th state and in honor of the rich heritage of submarines in the Pacific theater.

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle will serve as sponsor of SSN 776, the state’s namesake submarine. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Lingle christens the ship by breaking a bottle of champagne over the submarine.

Hawaii has improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that will enable it to meet the Navy’s multi-mission requirements. Hawaii’s capabilities include: anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, special forces delivery and support, and covert mine warfare.

In addition to these mission areas, Hawaii will be able to strike targets ashore with precision Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other maritime forces. With enhanced communications connectivity, the submarine also will provide unique, fully-integrated strike group and joint task force support.

Cmdr. David A. Solms, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., is the ship’s commanding officer and will lead a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.

The 7,800-ton Hawaii is 377 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. Hawaii is also designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship – reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.

Hawaii will ensure the United States maintains undersea dominance, in both deep and shallow waters, well into this century.

Additional information about the Virginia class submarine is available online at www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4.

For more Department of Defense news, visit www.defenselink.mil.

[SandRat]

040827-N-1876S-001 North Kingstown, R.I. (Aug. 27, 2004) - John Weiss, left, a welder with General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB), welds Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle's initials into a steel plate as Governor Lingle and John P. Casey, President of GDEB, looks on. Lingle, the sponsor of Precommissioning Unit Hawaii (SSN 776), joined several dignitaries at GDEB's Quonset Point facility in North Kingstown, R.I. for the keel laying ceremony of the Navy's third Virginia-class submarine.
U.S. Navy photo by Journalist First Class Mark A. Savage (RELEASED)

[SandRat]

Keel laid for the USS Hawaii.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Sadly, the Hawaii will have separate quarters for those of native and non-native descent.

[coconutt2000]

Hawaii is also designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship

That's some tank. :-)

[StACase]

Hmmmm, I'm surprised. Surprised that the Navy is still allowed to "christen" its ships. I would have thought political correctness would have done away with that term long ago.

[Fiji Hill]

Submarines used to be always named after a fish. I guess the tradition died in the late 1980s. sigh.

That tradition died much earlier. I, too, would like to see a more precise system of nomenclature for naval vessels. In the old days, battleships were named for states, battle cruisers for territories, cruisers for cities, destroyers for naval heroes, and aircraft carriers for former warships or aviation pioneers (eg. the USS Langley), and so forth.

[SandRat]

A long time ago (1943)
Cities were Cruisers
States were Battlewagons
Naval Personages were Destroyers
Fish were Subs

[rmlew]

That ended in the 1950's.
The USS George Washington and the other Polaris missle submarines were introduced in 1959.
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/slbm/ssbn-598.htm

[SandRat]

No argument,...just curiosity.....how many are on eternal patrol???

[SandRat]

I would think it's on the web somewhere because I seem to even remember posting a story sometime back about a service honoring those on eternal patrol that took place at Pearl, led by COMSUBPAC,

[GOP_Party_Animal]

If you've ever read the accounts of the Japanese super battleship Musashi, it's amazing how she was constantly dogged by American subs.