USS Hawaii
submarine named By Submarine Force U.S.
Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
From Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy
Richard Danzig and Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka
unveiled the image of the third Virginia-class
submarine, USS Hawaii (SSN 776) April
8. The ceremony was held at Bowfin Submarine
Memorial Park in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the
brink of the U.S. Navy's submarine centennial.
"Submariners
are one of our greatest assets; so also are
the people who appreciate and support them.
Naming this submarine Hawaii recognizes
both groups -- those brave men who have served
here and the men and women who support them,"
Danzig said.
The submarine
is being named to recognize the tremendous
support the Navy has enjoyed from the people
and state of Hawaii and in honor of the rich
heritage of submarines in the Pacific. USS Hawaii,
which will be 377 feet in length and displace
over 7,800 tons when submerged, will have a
crew of 134 men. USS Hawaii is
projected to be commissioned in January 2007.
"Hawaii is
proud to have a submarine named after its
people, because Polynesians were a seagoing
people. It will be serving to protect our
country in the Pacific and the same waters
that our ancestors patrolled," said Akaka.
"I just know that USS Hawaii will
serve our country and the world well," he
added.
Hawaii has been
home to the first Pacific Fleet submarines
since the early 1900s. In 1887, the Navy
received exclusive rights to Wai Momi, meaning
"water of pearl" when the Hawaiian
monarch, King David Kalakaua, signed a treaty
to allow a coaling station and repair facility
at the harbor, thanks to its key strategic
location. It wasn't until the Appropriations
Act of May 13, 1908, that the Navy was
authorized to build a Naval Base at Pearl
Harbor.
"It's a
wonderful thing that the state of Hawaii is
receiving a bit of homage and building on
their rich legacy with the naming of USS Hawaii,"
said Rear Adm. Al Konetzni Jr., Submarine
Force U.S. Pacific Fleet commander.
"A
submarine is a lot like the state of Hawaii.
Both are serene and beautiful, quiet and
peaceful, yet they are both vitally important
to U.S. national security. Like the people of
Hawaii, a submarine is very much a part of its
environment, is respectful of it, yet uses it
to great advantage," added Danzig.
The Virginia-class
submarine is the cornerstone of the force's
future. The new Virginia-class boats
will provide all the capability America needs
today at an affordable price. Designed from
the keel up with total ownership in mind, the Virginia-class
development, procurement, and operating costs
will be more than 30 percent less than that of
USS Seawolf (SSN 21).
"Submarines
and the USS Hawaii in particular, are
the most cost effective and secure way to
maintain coastal and national defense,"
said Konetzni. "USS Hawaii will
offer platforms of technological marvel and
will provide a superb deterrence for our
nation."
