Article Posted on : - May 28, 2015

John Warner (SSN 785). Photo: Huntington Ingalls Industries

NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA (BNS): The newest Virginia-class submarine, John Warner (SSN 785), has successfully completed its initial sea trials.

According to Huntington Ingalls Industries, builder of the submarine, the sea trials are aggressive operational tests that demonstrate the submarine's capabilities at sea.

John Warner, the first Virginia-class submarine to be named for a person, is being built as part of a teaming arrangement between HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division and General Dynamics Electric Boat.

"Alpha sea trials represent the first underway test of the quality of the craftsmanship that went into the construction of this great vessel and the skill of the crew that operates her," said Jim Hughes, Newport News' vice president of submarines and fleet support.

"Both the ship and the crew performed incredibly well, resulting in extremely successful trials that enable the ship to advance directly into its next set of tests. The John Warner is now well on its way to being another successful and early Virginia-class delivery."

All systems, components and compartments were tested during the trials on 26th May. The submarine submerged for the first time and operated at high speeds on the surface and underwater. John Warner will undergo several more rounds of sea trials before delivery to the Navy by Newport News.

Construction of John Warner began in 2010. The boat is 99 percent complete and on schedule to deliver next month, more than three months ahead of its contracted delivery date.