Boat Now 92% Complete
The USS New Jersey – a Virginia-class submarine – was recently launched at the Newport News Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and moved to the shipyard’s submarine pier for final fitting-out, test and crew certification, the company announced on 28 April.
Work on the 7,800t submarine, which has been underway since 2016, is approx. 92% completed. In collaboration with General Dynamics Electric Boat and suppliers across the United States, some 10,000 shipbuilders have been involved in the construction process. Intended to replace the USN’s Los Angeles-class attack boats, Virginia-class submarines incorporate dozens of new technologies and innovations that increase firepower, manoeuvrability and stealth to significantly enhance their combat capabilities. They are capable of supporting multiple mission sets, and can operate at speeds of over 25kt for months at a time.
“Achieving this construction milestone is a very rewarding event to our shipbuilding team […] Our shipbuilders and suppliers have dedicated years of hard work to this critical capability that will maintain our customer’s undersea superiority,” commented Jason Ward, Newport News’ VP of Virginia-class submarine construction.
