USS Delaware christened

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Newport News Shipbuilding photo
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A ceremony Saturday marked the christening  of the submarine  named for the First State.

Ship’s sponsor Jill Biden performed  the traditional honor of breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine across the hull of the submarine. (See video above).

In 2012, a Letter to the Editor published in The News Journal, submitted by Delawarean Steven Llanso, prompted  the state’s congressional delegation to send a  letter  to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus encouraging him to consider naming a submarine after the state of Delaware.

Later that same year, the congressional delegation learned that a Naval submarine would be named  the USS Delaware.

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The USS Delaware was built by Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, and General Dynamics Electric Boat.

Nearly 4,000 shipbuilders have supported the construction of the USS Delaware, and the ship will have about 135 officers and crew onboard. The USS Delaware will be commanded by Commander Brian P. Hogan. The ship’s motto is “First Defenders of Liberty.”

The USS Delaware is the 18th boat of the Virginia-class. The Virginia-class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the Navy.

The Navy considers it to the “next generation” of attack submarine. Virginia-class submarines are capable of submerged speeds in excess of 25 knots and are able to stay submerged for up to three months at a time.

Virginia-class submarines are armed with Tomahawk Cruise missiles, MK-48 torpedoes, advanced mobile mines and an unmanned under sea vehicle.

See video below for more information on the Delaware.

 

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