The U.S. Navy formally began the construction of a new Virginia-class attack submarine with a keel-laying ceremony was held in Groton on 24th August.
The future USS Idaho (SSN 799) will be the fifth U.S. naval vessel named after the Gem State. The USS Idaho will be the 26th submarine of the Virginia-class which is the most advanced nuclear submarine of the U.S. Navy.
The submarine is being built by General Dynamics Electric Boat.
“In the days of the wooden ships the start of construction was marked by the laying of the first timber, the backbone of the vessel,” says Electric Boat President Kevin Graney. “We maintain that tradition today, modified to reflect our current manufacturing methods in the cylindrical shape of modern submarines.”
After the keel-laying ceremony, the next step will be to christen the vessel, and then after trials, the submarine will be officially commissioned into the U.S. Navy’s fleet.
The USS Idaho will be the fifth ship to represent Idaho, but the first in more than a century. The last one was a battleship that played a crucial role in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.
