Dr. Jill Biden, the Second Lady of the United States and sponsor of the Virginia-class submarine USS Delaware (SSN-791), visited Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division on April 30 for the submarine’s keel-laying ceremony, during which she declared the keel «truly and fairly laid». The keel laying signifies the ceremonial start of construction for the newest U.S. Navy vessel named for «The First State».
In her remarks, Biden addressed the crew of Delaware not just as the ship sponsor, but as a military mother and grandmother. «It’s our duty to make sure that you have everything you need to stay safe and do your jobs», Biden said. «You need the very best equipment and advanced technology that we can provide, and soon that will include the USS Delaware, thanks to the ingenuity and skill of the shipbuilders before us».
During the ceremony, Biden’s initials were welded onto a steel plate that will be permanently affixed to the submarine, symbolizing her lifelong relationship with the shipbuilders and crew.
Other ceremony participants included Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe; Senator Thomas Carper, Democratic Party-Delaware; Representative Randy Forbes, Republican Party-Virginia; Representative Bobby Scott, Democratic Party-Virginia; Vice Admiral Joseph Tofalo, commander of Submarine Forces, Submarine Forces Atlantic and Allied Submarine Command; Matt Mulherin, president, Newport News Shipbuilding; and Jeffrey S. Geiger, president, General Dynamics Electric Boat.
In his remarks, McAuliffe addressed the importance of the shipbuilding industry in Virginia. «I want to thank the greatest shipbuilders in the entire world that we have here right at Newport News», McAuliffe said. «No other state can say this: 28,500 shipbuilders – one out of five in the United States of America – are here in the Commonwealth of Virginia».
More than 4,000 shipbuilders support the construction of Delaware. The submarine will be the newest U.S. Navy vessel named for the country’s first state, following the dreadnought battleship USS Delaware (BB-28) that was delivered by Newport News in 1910.
«While Jill Biden’s initials may be the only ones visible today, this submarine also carries with it the names of her shipbuilders», Mulherin said. «Shipbuilders who sign their name to each and every job they perform, shipbuilders who put safety and quality above all else, and shipbuilders who I have the utmost respect for and complete and total confidence in».
Delaware is the final ship of the Block III submarines built under a unique teaming agreement between Newport News and General Dynamics Electric Boat.
«Through the effort of this team, the Virginia program has distinguished itself by setting new standards for cost-effective design and construction and advanced mission capabilities for the Navy», Geiger said. «It’s now a busy time for our team, and we are fortunate to be engaged in a sustained period of increased submarine production. The newest, the Delaware, stands out as a remarkable example of applied and integrated technology, along with the ships of the class that have come before it».
Construction on Delaware began in September 2013. The submarine is about 56 percent complete and is on track for delivery in 2018.
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
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 |
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 | Under Construction | ||
| SSN-791 Delaware | NNS | Under Construction |
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 Arkansas | NNS | On Order | ||
| SSN-801 Utah | EB | On Order |
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) |
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) got her first taste of the sea in early May 2013 during her sea trials
Block VII
| Ship | Yard | Christening | Commissioned | Homeport |
| SSN-817 (Unnamed) | ||||
| SSN-818 (Unnamed) | ||||
| SSN-819 (Unnamed) | ||||
| SSN-820 (Unnamed) | ||||
| SSN-821 (Unnamed) |
