US Navy’s Virginia-class attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 773) visited Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.
The visit is aimed at strengthening the alliance between the U.S. and Japan through the crews’ interaction with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.
Commander Todd Nethercott , commanding officer, said: “The ship and crew have performed exceedingly well. The ship’s motto, ‘Don’t mess with Texas,’ clearly depicts the ship’s capabilities and the crew’s spirit. The crew is looking forward to experiencing Sasebo and working with our close regional allies.”
Texas is the second Virginia-class attack submarine commissioned by the United States. This submarine is capable of executing a multitude of missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare, mine warfare, and shallow water operations.
Built in Newport News, Virginia, from 2002 to 2004, Texas established its home in Groton, Connecticut, before transferring to Pearl Harbor in 2009. The boat is sponsored by former first lady Laura Bush.
[mappress mapid=”17614″]