Christening of Washington | Modern weapons

On March 5, 2016 Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division celebrated the christening of the future USS Washington (SSN-787), the 14th Virginia-class submarine.

Elisabeth Mabus, daughter of Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, smashed a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow of Virginia-class submarine Washington (SSN-787), christening the submarine named for the Evergreen State. Washington will be the seventh Virginia-class submarine to be delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding (Photo by John Whalen/HII)

Ship sponsor Elisabeth Mabus, daughter of Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, smashed a bottle of sparkling wine, dipped in the waters of Washington’s Puget Sound, across the bow to mark the christening of the submarine named for the Evergreen State.

«It seems amazing that only a year and a half ago we were laying the keel», Elisabeth said. «It is a testament to the work at Newport News and Electric Boat that we are back here so soon to christen the newest member of the fleet».

Secretary Mabus served as the ceremony’s keynote speaker. Other ceremony participants included Representative Randy Forbes, Republican Party, Virginia; Representative Bobby Scott, Democratic Party, Virginia; Admiral James Caldwell, director, U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program; Vice Admiral Joseph Tofalo, commander of Submarine Forces, Submarine Forces Atlantic and Allied Submarine Command; Matt Mulherin, president, Newport News Shipbuilding; and Jeffrey Geiger, president, General Dynamics Electric Boat.

Secretary Mabus highlighted the award of 10 Virginia-class submarines in the Block IV contract, the largest shipbuilding contract in U.S. Navy history, and the cost savings associated with it.

«Many things have allowed us to bring the cost down», Mabus said. «So many efficiencies by these shipyards. By giving them stability – by Congress allowing us to do this 10-ship buy at the same time so they can make the investments, employ the skilled workers, buy the materials that they need to build not just one submarine, but all 10 – it’s good for our shipbuilders, it’s good for the shipbuilding industry, it’s good for America’s Navy, and it’s good for America».

USS Washington (SSN-787) will be the seventh Virginia-class submarine delivered by Newport News. Construction began in September 2011, marking the beginning of the two-submarines-per-year build plan between Newport News and General Dynamics Electric Boat.

«Today’s ceremony marks a new chapter in the life of this submarine, which embodies years of hard work by a team committed to continuous improvement and extending its record of deliveries ahead of schedule and under budget», Geiger said. «Largely because of the Virginia-class program’s success, we are in the midst of a sustained period of increased submarine production».

Nearly 4,000 Newport News shipbuilders have worked on USS Washington (SSN-787). The submarine is on track to be delivered in 2016.

«Here at the shipyard, we’re celebrating our 130 years in business», Mulherin said. «We’ve been christening ships throughout our history, with more than 800 such ships built here. For more than a century, we’ve christened ships. The pride, patriotism and attention to every little detail is something that has been passed down from generation to generation. We are extremely proud to be a part of that tradition because we know we aren’t just celebrating a christening today, we are also celebrating the men and women who built this magnificent submarine and those who will serve aboard her».

About 2,000 people attended the christening of the Virginia-class submarine Washington (Photo by Ricky Thompson/HII)

General Characteristics

Builder	General Dynamics Electric Boat Division and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. – Newport News Shipbuilding
Date Deployed	October 3, 2004
Propulsion	One GE PWR S9G(*) nuclear reactor, two turbines, one shaft; 40,000 hp/30 MW
Length	377 feet/114.8 m
Beam	33 feet/10.0584 m
Hull Diameter	34 feet/10.3632 m
Displacement	Approximately 7,800 tons/7,925 metric tons submerged
Speed	25+ knots/28+ mph/46.3+ km/h
Diving Depth	800+ feet/244+ m
Crew	132: 15 officers; 117 enlisted
Armament: Tomahawk missiles	12 individual VLS (Vertical Launch System) tubes or two 87-in/2.2 m Virginia Payload Tubes (VPTs), each capable of launching 6 Tomahawk cruise missiles
Armament: MK-48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) Mod 7 heavyweight torpedoes	4 torpedo tubes
Weapons	MK-60 CAPTOR (Encapsulated Torpedo) mines, advanced mobile mines and UUVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles)

(*) – Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories

Nuclear Submarine Lineup

Block I

Ship	Yard	Christening	Commissioned	Homeport
SSN-774 Virginia	EB	8-16-03	10-23-04	Portsmouth, New Hampshire
SSN-775 Texas	NNS	7-31-05	9-9-06	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
SSN-776 Hawaii	EB	6-19-06	5-5-07	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
SSN-777 North Carolina	NNS	4-21-07	5-3-08	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

EB – Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut

NNS – Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia

SSN – Attack Submarine, Nuclear-powered

Nearly 4,000 Newport News shipbuilders have worked on USS Washington (SSN-787). The submarine is on track to be delivered in 2016

Block II

Ship	Yard	Christening	Commissioned	Homeport
SSN-778 New Hampshire	EB	6-21-08	10-25-08	Groton, Connecticut
SSN-779 New Mexico	NNS	12-13-08	11-21-09	Groton, Connecticut
SSN-780 Missouri	EB	12-5-09	7-31-10	Groton, Connecticut
SSN-781 California	NNS	11-6-10	10-29-11	Groton, Connecticut
SSN-782 Mississippi	EB	12-3-11	6-2-12	Groton, Connecticut
SSN-783 Minnesota	NNS	10-27-12	9-7-13	Norfolk, Virginia

The ship's crest of the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Washington (U.S. Navy graphic/Released) — The ship’s crest of the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Washington (U.S. Navy graphic/Released)

Block III

Ship	Yard	Christening	Commissioned	Homeport
SSN-784 North Dakota	EB	11-2-13	10-25-14	Groton, Connecticut
SSN-785 John Warner	NNS	09-06-14	08-01-15	Norfolk, Virginia
SSN-786 Illinois	EB	10-10-15
SSN-787 Washington	NNS	03-05-16
SSN-788 Colorado	EB	Under Construction
SSN-789 Indiana	NNS	Under Construction
SSN-790 South Dakota	EB	On Order
SSN-791 Delaware	NNS	On Order

The first description of a U.S. warship christening is that of Constitution, «Old Ironsides», at Boston on October 21, 1797. As the ship slipped into the water, the sponsor, Captain James Sever, broke a bottle of Madeira over the bowsprit

Block IV

Ship	Yard	Christening	Commissioned	Homeport
SSN-792 Vermont	EB	On Order
SSN-793 Oregon	EB	On Order
SSN-794 Montana	NNS	On Order
SSN-795 Hyman G. Rickover	EB	On Order
SSN-796 New Jersey	NNS	On Order
SSN-797 Iowa	EB	On Order
SSN-798 Massachusetts	NNS	On Order
SSN-799 Idaho	EB	On Order
SSN-800 (Unnamed)	NNS	On Order
SSN-801 Utah	EB	On Order

The submarine USS John Warner (SSN-785) delivered on June 25, 2015, two and a half months ahead of schedule (Photo by Chris Oxley/HII)

Block V

Ship	Yard	Christening	Commissioned	Homeport
SSN-802 (Unnamed)
SSN-803 (Unnamed)
SSN-804 (Unnamed)
SSN-805 (Unnamed)
SSN-806 (Unnamed)
SSN-807 (Unnamed)
SSN-808 (Unnamed)
SSN-809 (Unnamed)
SSN-810 (Unnamed)
SSN-811 (Unnamed)

In Virginia-class SSNs, traditional periscopes have been supplanted by two photonics masts that host visible and infrared digital cameras atop telescoping arms

Block VI

Ship	Yard	Christening	Commissioned	Homeport
SSN-812 (Unnamed)
SSN-813 (Unnamed)
SSN-814 (Unnamed)
SSN-815 (Unnamed)
SSN-816 (Unnamed)

USS Minnesota (SSN-783) – Attack Submarine, Nuclear-powered

Block VII

Ship	Yard	Christening	Commissioned	Homeport
SSN-817 (Unnamed)
SSN-818 (Unnamed)
SSN-819 (Unnamed)
SSN-820 (Unnamed)
SSN-821 (Unnamed)

Watch an awesome time-lapse video of the rollout, flooding and launch of Virginia-class submarine USS Washington (SSN-787) at Newport News Shipbuilding. It’s four days of work compressed into less than two minutes.