Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that California (SSN 781), the nation’s newest and most advanced nuclear-powered submarine, returned to the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division after completing the ship’s first round of sea trials. The submarine returned July 2 with a broom on its mast, symbolizing a “clean sweep” and successful sea trial. A Newport News Shipbuilding flag also flew over the submarine to mark the first Virginia-class submarine sea trial since the return of the Newport News Shipbuilding name.
Sea trials provide an opportunity to test all systems, components and compartments and include submerging for the first time, high-speed runs while on the surface and submerged, and a demonstration of many of the submarine’s other capabilities.
“Sea trials are a highlight of the shipbuilding process,” said Becky Stewart, vice president for Newport News Shipbuilding’s submarine programs . “A successful sea trial is a major accomplishment and the culmination of several years of work that showcases the skills and craftsmanship of our shipbuilders.”
California, the eighth ship of the class and named to honor the “Golden State,” is in the final stages of testing at HII’s Newport News shipyard. Upon delivery to the Navy later this year, California will be the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, providing undersea supremacy well into the 21st century. The keel for California was laid May 1, 2009, and the ship was christened Nov. 6, 2010.
Newport News Shipbuilding, one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines, is teamed with General Dynamics Electric Boat to build Virginia-class submarines.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Employing nearly 38,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, its primary business divisions are Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding.
[mappress] Source: HII, July 6, 2011.