The Latest US Virginia-Class Submarine Released

[Researcher Jongwoong Lee, Underwater Research Team 1, Defense Agency for Technology and Quality] The U.S. Navy has commissioned the latest high-speed attack submarine, USS Delaware (SSN 791). It was built at Newport News Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries, and delivered to the U.S. Navy in October last year. The Delaware is the 18th Virginia-class attack submarine. It is also the 7th U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name of the state of Delaware, and the first submarine to do so.

The official commissioning ceremony for the Delaware was canceled due to COVID-19. However, on the 4th, the U.S. Navy administratively commissioned USS Delaware and transitioned it to normal operational status. Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horton, the commanding officer of the Delaware, said, "Thanks to the efforts of the workers who have carried out the challenging construction work over the past six years, this submarine is now ready to perform its duties as a warship."

The Delaware is designed as a flexible multi-mission platform capable of performing seven core submarine warfare capabilities: anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, special operations forces delivery, strike warfare, irregular warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and mine warfare. The submarine is 377 feet long and 34 feet wide, can dive to depths exceeding 800 feet, and can travel underwater at speeds over 25 knots. Additionally, it can operate for more than 30 years without refueling.

Meanwhile, the keel laying ceremony for the Delaware was held on April 30, 2016, and the naming ceremony took place in October 2018. The Delaware is the last Block III Virginia-class submarine delivered before the Block IV submarines.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.