USS North Dakota Joins US Navy on Saturday

The nuclear-powered attack submarine USS North Dakota comes closer to joining the US Navy fleet.

The vessel completed its sea trials and will officially become a part of the US Navy on Saturday, 25th of October. The commissioning ceremony for the $2.6 billion Virginia-class submarine will be held at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conneticut and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert will act as the keynote speaker.

USS North Dakota (SSN-784) is a Virginia-class submarine, the second U.S. Navy ship to be named for the U.S. state of North Dakota.

North Dakota is the first of eight Virginia Class Block III ships. Approximately 20 percent of North Dakota was redesigned with changes in ship’s bow redesign, replacing 12 individual launch tubes with two large-diameter Virginia Payload Tubes, each capable of launching six UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

[mappress mapid=”14183″]

Naval Today Staff, Image: US Navy