Virginia class submarine
The United States Pacific Fleet Commander Submarine Force announced on January 6, 2010, that Pearl Harbor Naval Station will be the homeport of the Navy’s newest submarine – the USS North Carolina SSN-777. The USS North Carolina is one of only six Virginia class nuclear attack submarines in the Navy’s Fleet. The USS North Carolina will join two other Virginia class submarines: the USS Hawaii SSN-776, and USS Texas SSN-775. This will make Pearl Harbor homeport to three of the six currently commissioned Virginia class submarines.
The Virginia class is the submarine of the 21st Century. It is a nuclear powered submarine with unlimited range, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and MK-48 torpedoes. It boasts a complement of 134 officers and crew. The Virginia class is replacing the Seawolf class which was itself designed to replace the Los Angeles class nuclear submarine (of which 17 of the 62 total have now been decommissioned). In fact, the famous USS Los Angeles is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles Harbor tomorrow for a public decommissioning event this Saturday, January 23rd in San Pedro, CA. Incidentally, the Los Angeles class submarine was featured in the popular novel, The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, which was made into a movie starring Sean Connery.
The Virginia class submarines are being constructed by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia at a rate of one per year. From 2011 to 2013, the Navy is expected to increase the annual construction to two per year for economies of scale cost savings.
The Virginia Class Submarines
The Virginia class submarines commissioned to date with their respective homeports are:
- USS Virginia SSN-774, Groton, Connecticut
- USS Texas SSN-775, Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Hawaii
- USS Hawaii SSN-776, Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Hawaii
- USS North Carolina SSN-777, Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Hawaii
- USS New Hampshire SSN-778, Groton, Connecticut
The USS New Mexico SSN-779 is scheduled to be commissioned on March 27, 2010. Its homeport is yet to be announced. Other Virginia class submarines in construction are:
- USS Missouri SSN-780
- USS California SSN-781
- USS Mississippi SSN-782
- USS Minnesota SSN-783
- USS North Dakota SSN-784
- USS John Warner SSN-785
These submarines are scheduled to be completed between 2011 and 2015. An additional six unnamed subs designated “Block III” began construction in 2009. This will bring the total number of Virginia class submarines to 18.
Pearl Harbor Historically Homeport to Many Navy Submarines
Pearl Harbor has historically been the homeport to a high percentage of the Navy’s submarine fleet. This is due to Pearl Harbor’s strategic location and the importance submarine warfare first demonstrated in World War II. Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is also one of the few nuclear submarine repair facilities in the United States.
The law firm of Galiher DeRobertis Ono has represented former active duty submariners (both diesel and nuclear submarine service) as well as shipyard workers who were involved in the original construction or repair of diesel and nuclear submarines. Our clients were exposed to asbestos dust from both direct hands-on exposure (for example, shipyard workers such as marine machinists and machinist mates) and also from bystander exposure such as stewards and cooks assigned to the submarines. As a result, many of these men developed asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
Even a retired Navy captain who had been in charge of construction of nuclear submarines at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California was a client of Galiher DeRobertis Ono. He developed mesothelioma from his bystander exposure to deadly asbestos dust during the construction process. Our submariner clients served in a variety of shipyards, including Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, San Diego Naval Station, Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, California, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, Newport News Shipyard and Virginia Dry Dock in Virginia and Groton, Connecticut.
