The U.S.Navy’s newest Virginia-class attack submarine, future USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795), was christened during a ceremony at General Dynamics’ Electric Boat shipyard facility in Groton, Connecticut, July 31. Caldwell credited Rickover – who served for 63 years in the U.S. Navy and is credited with spurring the service to adopt nuclear propulsion after World War II – with not only technological advances but cultural ones. He lauded Rickover’s legendary work ethic, frankness, attention to detail and commitment to excellence, which he said has since permeated throughout the U.S. Navy.
The first Hyman G. Rickover was commissioned at Submarine Base, New London, in Groton, on July 21, 1984. SSN 709 and its crew deployed 12 times until its decommissioning in December 2007. Over the years, its decorations included the Atlantic Fleet Golden Anchor Award, Submarine Squadron Eight’s anti-submarine warfare white “A” and engineering red “E” awards and the prestigious Sixth Fleet “Hook ‘Em” award for anti-submarine warfare excellence. Greenert asked family members of the crew of the future USS Hyman G. Rickover to stand together when her daughter, Matron of Honor Sarah Greenert McNichol, broke the ceremonial bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.
USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795), will be a Virginia-class Block IV submarine, the second submarine of the United States Navy commemorating Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, pioneer of the nuclear Navy. The first USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709) was a Los Angeles-class submarine, and the only submarine of its class not to be named after a United States city or town. This submarine will be the second of its class not to be named after a U.S. state; the first was the USS John Warner (SSN-785). Rickover will eventually joint the fleet with a displacement of 7,835 tons, crew of 132, and a weapons payload of 12 vertical launch systems and four torpedo tubes.
The Virginia class, also known as the SSN-774 class, is a class of nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarines, in service in the United States Navy. Designed by General Dynamics’s Electric Boat (EB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries, the Virginia-class is the United States Navy’s latest submarine model, which incorporates the latest in stealth, intelligence gathering, and weapons systems technology. Block IV involved 10 boats. In 2013, execution of this 10-submarine contract was put in doubt by budget sequestration in 2013. The main improvement over the Block III is the reduction of major maintenance periods from four to three, increasing each boat’s total lifetime deployments by one.
