The US Navy has shared a video of the Virginia-class submarine Washington (SSN 787) entering Naval Station Norfolk after completing her final set of trials.
The video was shared ahead of the submarine’s commissioning ceremony which is set to take place on October 7 in Norfolk.
The future Washington will be the third US Navy ship to be commissioned with a name honoring the State of Washington. The previous two ships were a World War II battleship (BB-56), decommissioned in 1947, and an armored cruiser (ACR-11) which served under the name from 1905 to 1916.
The future Washington is the 14th Virginia-class nuclear submarine and the fourth Virginia-class Block III submarine. The ship began construction in 2011.
Virginia-class submarines weigh 7,800 tons and are 377 feet in length, have a 34 foot beam, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. According to the Navy, they are built with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship – reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.