New submarine to be commissioned

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NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense

No. 525-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 03, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

Navy Announces Commissioning of Submarine Hawaii

The Navy's newest attack submarine Hawaii will be commissioned
Saturday, May 5, during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony in Groton, Conn.

The third submarine of the Virginia class, SSN 776 will bear the name
Hawaii to recognize the tremendous support the Navy has enjoyed from the people of the Aloha State and in honor of the rich heritage of
submarines in the Pacific theater.

Adm. Gary Roughead, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, will deliver the
ceremony's principal address. Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle is the sponsor of
Hawaii, the state's namesake submarine. The ceremony will be highlighted
by a time-honored Navy tradition when Lingle gives the first order to
"man our ship and bring her to life!"

Hawaii has improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities
and special warfare enhancements that will enable it to meet the Navy's
multi-mission requirements. Hawaii's capabilities include anti-submarine
and anti-surface warfare, special operations forces delivery and
support, and covert mine warfare. In addition to these mission areas, Hawaii will be able to strike targets ashore with precision Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other maritime forces. With enhanced communications connectivity, the submarine also will provide unique, fully-integrated strike group and joint task force support."The addition of USS Hawaii to the fleet provides needed capability to meet the challenges of the future," said Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter."This ship's stealth, endurance, flexibility, and lethality, combined with a highly trained and ready crew, make for the most robust undersea warfare capability in the world."

Capt. David A. Solms, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., is the
ship's commanding officer and will lead a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.

The 7,800-ton Hawaii was built by the shipbuilder team of General
Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Conn., and Northrop Grumman Newport News.The
submarine is 377 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate
at more than 25 knots submerged. Hawaii is designed with a reactor
plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship -
reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time. Hawaii will
ensure the United States maintains undersea dominance, in both deep and shallow waters, well into this century.

Additional information about this class of submarine is available
online at
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4 .

A live Web cast of the USS Hawaii's Commissioning ceremony can be
viewed online at the commander, Submarine Group Two and the USS Hawaii Web
sites at http://www.csg2.navy.mil/Hawaii.htm .

[Web Version:
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