Virginia-Class Submarine Texas Reaches Major Construction Milestone

Northrop Grumman Press Release ^ | November 7, 2003

[Al B.]

Newport News, Va. -- Nov. 7, 2003 -- Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) Newport News held a ceremony today to commemorate the pressure hull completion for the Virginia-class submarine Texas (SSN 775). The ceremony marked the completion of the submarine's final hull welds, making the entire pressure hull a single unit. It is the last major construction milestone before the Texas is christened next summer.

Many of the 2,000 Newport News employees who are building the Virginia-class submarines attended the ceremony and lunch in appreciation for achieving this milestone. Representatives from Northrop Grumman Newport News, General Dynamics Electric Boat and the U.S. Navy participated in the ceremony and praised employees for their hard work.

 

Photo by Stu Gilman Click on image for a high resolution image

Photo by Chris Oxley Click on image for a high resolution image

[Al B.]

Don't mess with Texas.

[Poohbah]

Trivia question: name the three states to not have battleships named after them and built.

[xrp]

Aren't the Virgina class SSNs using the shrouded pump jet instead of a traditional propeller for propulsion? Any Navy people reading? Thanks!

[Larry Lucido]

Impressive!

[Al B.]

Ya got me.....

[xrp]

Alaska, Hawaii. What is the third? Montana?

[Al B.]

I think Hawaii had a BB. May be mistakeb about that.

[Al B.]

Next SSN is the Hawaii, though.

[Larry Lucido]

Bingo. From a random Google result:

"Of the 48 states in existance (Alaska and Hawaii did not become states until 1959), when the USN was building such ships - All 48 states had at least one battleship named for it. However, the state of Montana never had a ship completed that bore its name. As you will recall, Montana would have been the lead ship of the class to follow the Iowa's...but the ship was ordered with the name Montana. Though the "Big Sky State" of Montana was represented by a Armored Cruiser (Shane is correct that a number of the early cruisers were named for states as well). All other states had a ship completed that bore its name."

[Poohbah]

DING DING DING!

Very good, xrp!

Alaska and Hawaii became states after the battleship era ended. Montana was twice a bridesmaid, never a bride; BB 51 (cancelled by the Washington Naval Treaty and scrapped on the building ways) and BB 67 (cancelled July 21st, 1943 before construction started) were both named for the Treasure State.

[glorgau]

Your tax dollars at work!

[RightWhale]

Looks like an attack boat. The steel of the pressure hull is over an inch thick, and the hull will have a lot of both permanent holes for ships systems and access and temporary holes of good size needed during construction and outfitting.

[jimtorr]

I think Montana has been well served by the navy.

The first HELENA (FG-9) was a 1400 ton gunboat that served during the Spanish American War and then later in the Far East. When stricken from the Navy Register in 1932, she had over thirty years of distinguished service on her record.

The second HELENA (CL-50), a light cruiser, was launched in 1938. Although damaged at Pearl Harbor, she returned to take part in 13 major engagements in the South Pacific and played a decisive role in the Battle for Guadalcanal . Sunk by enemy torpedos in the Battle of Kula Gulf on 7 July 1943, she was posthumously awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for outstanding heroism in action.

Commissioned too late for World War II in 1946, USS HELENA CA-75 made up for this with her performance during the Korean War. She served with distinction in the Korean War, and again in the Vietnamese unpleasantness, before she was scrapped in 1974.

......and then there is the USS Billings, of Starfleet Command, where the future Captain Janeway would serve for a time.

[jimtorr]

Right. The Virgina class are multi-purpose attack boats, a cross between the L.A. class the the Ohio class, though substantially smaller than the Ohio.

[Poohbah]

And the USS Bozeman, with the guy from Frasier as Captain.

[Larry Lucido]

USS HELENA CA-75

Yep, this is quite impressive, too.

[Poohbah]

They don't carry SLBMs; they have no Ohio-class capabilities.

[stylin_geek]

My late uncle served on the Helena. He was in Pearl Harbor, I'm not sure if on the ship, when she was hit by a torpedo during the attack.