The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of PCU John Warner (SSN 785) June 25, the 12th submarine of the Virginia Class.
John Warner is the second of eight Virginia-class Block III ships and the sixth to be delivered to the U.S. Navy by Newport News Shipbuilding.
John Warner successfully completed the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) trials, which evaluate the submarine’s seaworthiness and operational capabilities, June 12. During the trials, the crew took the submarine to test depth, tested the submarine’s propulsion plant and material readiness resulting in the highest INSURV score of the Virginia-class submarines. John Warner will spend the upcoming weeks preparing for its Aug. 1 commissioning in Norfolk, Virginia.
Block III submarines feature a redesigned bow, which replaces 12 individual launch tubes with two large-diameter Virginia Payload Tubes each capable of launching six Tomahawk cruise missiles, among other design changes that reduced the submarines’ acquisition cost while maintaining their outstanding warfighting capabilities.
Image: US Navy