USS Newport News Returns to Naval Station Norfolk

The Los Angeles fast-attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750) returned to Naval Station Norfolk Sept. 15 from a regularly scheduled deployment.

Newport News is commanded by Cmdr. J. Carl Hartsfield, who became the submarine’s 11th commanding officer on April 20, 2010. While deployed, the crew of Newport News executed the U.S. maritime strategy in supporting national security interests and maritime security operations.

“USS Newport News steamed almost 40,000 nautical miles during our 2011 deployment, nearly the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe twice,” said Hartsfield. “We visited France, Scotland, Norway, England, and Portugal while completing almost seven months in the European Command theater of operations.”

“Our crew’s pre-deployment operations included preparing the ship, ourselves, and our families for an extended deployment. As a result, Newport News did not lose a single mission day to maintenance, personnel or family issues. Taking the investment of the American people in our ship and crew very seriously, we worked extremely hard to deliver absolute maximum capability in theater. Our Sailors look forward to reunions with their loved ones who calmly endured every home front situation, including Hurricane Irene.”

Fast-attack submarines like Newport News have multi-faceted missions. They use their stealth, persistence, agility and firepower to deploy and support special force operations, disrupt and destroy an adversary’s military and economic operations at sea, provide early strike from close proximity, and ensure undersea superiority.

Newport News has a crew complement of 15 officers and 127 enlisted. The submarine, the eighth ship to bear the name of the Virginia shipbuilding city, is 360 feet long, displaces 6,900 tons of water, and can travel in excess of 20 knots.
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Source: navy, September 16, 2011;