Article Posted on : - Aug 02, 2010

US Navy sailors rails and bring the ship to life during the commissioning ceremony for the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Missouri (inset) at Naval Submarine Base New London. Photo: US Navy.

GROTON (BNS): Sailors assigned to USS Missouri (SSN-780) recently boarded the Virginia-class attack submarine during a traditional first order "man our ship and bring her to life," commissioning ceremony at US Naval Submarine Base New London.

USS Missouri has the ability to directly enable five of the six US Navy maritime strategy core capabilities - sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.

"This amazing submarine and the other submarines of this class are vital to our national security. The simple reason is contained in one word: stealth,” Representative Ike Skelton of Missouri, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said during the commissioning of the ship on July 31st.

USS Missouri is a 377-feet long submarine, with a 34-foot beam, which makes it able to dive at depths greater than 800 feet and to operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged.

"It may take you underneath the Arctic ice or the warm waters of the Indian Ocean," said Ray Mabus, Secretary of the US Navy in a US Navy official release.

Missouri has undergone material readiness inspection by the US Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) team after completing its sea trials on July 22.

INSURV is a survey team established by US Congress, which review surface ships, aircraft carriers and submarines of US Navy and ensure that they are properly equipped for prompt, reliable and sustained mission readiness at sea.

The construction of 7,800-tonne submarine Missouri was started in December 2004, under a teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News. It was christened at Electric Boat work center on December 5, 2009.

Missouri is built to operate in both the world's shallow littoral regions and deep waters. It has excellence in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare missions.

Missouri is designed with a nuclear reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, this reduces the lifecycle costs and increase the underway time.

Missouri is the fifth Navy ship to be named in honour of the people of the "Show Me State."