Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has announced that VIRGINIA-class submarine NEW JERSEY (SSN 796) was recently launched into the James River at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. The 7,800-ton submarine, which had been in a floating dry dock since being transferred from a construction facility in March, was submerged and moved by tugboats to the shipyard’s submarine pier for final outfitting, testing and crew certification. Through the teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat, approximately 10,000 shipbuilders, as well as suppliers from 50 states, have participated in NEW JERSEY’s construction since the work began in 2016. NEW JERSEY is approximately 92 per cent complete, HII writes in a press release.
VIRGINIA class submarines, a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines, are built for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions to replace the Navy’s LOS ANGELES class submarines as they are retired.
JH
