USS Missouri (SSN-780)

For other ships of the same name, see USS Missouri.
Missouri arrives at Naval Submarine Base New London in December 2013.
History
Namesake: The State of Missouri
Awarded: 14 August 2003[1]
Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat[1]
Laid down: 27 September 2008[1]
Launched: 20 November 2009[1]
Sponsored by: Rebecca W. Gates[2]
Christened: 5 December 2009[2]
Commissioned: 31 July 2010
Homeport: Groton, Connecticut[3]
Motto: "United we stand, divided we fall"
Status: in active service, as of 2016
Badge:
General characteristics
Class & type: Virginia-class submarine
Displacement: 7800 tons submerged[1]
Length: 377 feet (114.9 meters)[1]
Beam: 34 feet (10.3 meters)[1]
Propulsion: S9G reactor
Speed: 25+ knots (28+ mph, 46+ km/h)[3]
Range: Essentially unlimited distance; 33 years
Test depth: greater than 800 feet (250 meters)[4]
Complement: 134 officers and men[3]
Armament:

12 × VLS (BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile)

4 × 533mm torpedo tubes (Mk-48 ADCAP torpedo)

USS Missouri (SSN-780) is the seventh Virginia-class attack submarine and the fourth ship in the United States Navy named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri.[2] It was completed, and delivered, nine months early and under budget.

The contract to build Missouri was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 14 August 2003. Its keel was laid down on 27 September 2008.[1] The submarine was put in the water on 20 November 2009, and christened on 5 December 2009. Missouri's sponsor is Becky Gates, wife of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.[2]

Missouri was commissioned on 31 July 2010. Her first assignment is with Submarine Squadron 4 (SUBRON 4) based at US Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, CT.[5]

On 20 April 2012, command of the Missouri was handed over from Cmdr Timothy Rexrode to Cmdr Michael Luckett.[6]

The 7,800-ton submarine Missouri was built under a teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News. Sections of the submarine are built at both shipyards and then final assembly is completed at one or the other. In this instance, SSN-780 was assembled at the Groton/New London, Connecticut shipyard. Final assembly occurs alternately between the two. During the design and construction phases both shipyards collaborate to complete each submarine.

Missouri completed her first 6-month deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet on 20 December 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Missouri". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Navy to Christen Submarine Missouri". Navy News Service. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "The US Navy – Fact File". Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  4. ↑ GlobalSecurity.org
  5. ↑ McDermott, Jennifer, "USS Missouri Leading Way For New Wave of Submarines", New London Day, 1 August 2010.
  6. ↑ McDermott, Jennifer, "New sub skipper to take USS Missouri to the next level", New London Day, 20 April 2012.

External links

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