April 24, 200719 yr Navy christens newest attack sub By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer Posted : Monday Apr 23, 2007 15:24:07 EDT The fourth Virginia-class submarine, the $2.3 billion North Carolina, was christened Saturday in Newport News, Va., in front of a crowd of thousands. Vice Adm. Jay Donnelly, commander of the submarine force, told the pre-commissioning crew, “Never fear, your turn to deploy will come soon enough,” according to a Navy announcement. The North Carolina joins the Virginia, Texas and Hawaii as the first ships of the post-Cold War submarine class. The North Carolina is scheduled to be commissioned in 2008. The Navy expects to buy 30 Virginia-class subs. The ceremony was held at the Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipyard. North Carolina’s sponsor is Linda Anne Rich Bowman, wife of retired Adm. Frank Bowman, a submariner who served as the director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion as well as chief of naval personnel. The first ship in the class, the Virginia, is expected to go on its first deployment some time in 2008.
Create an account or sign in to comment