HII: US Navy’s Virginia-class submarine USS Arkansas christened

US shipbuilder HII has christened Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800) for the US Navy at its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division.

As disclosed, USS Arkansas is the 27th Virginia-class submarine and the 13th to be delivered by NNS. The christening ceremony took place on December 7, 2024. The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during desegregation. NNS honored all nine members during the ceremony.

The Little Rock Nine made history in 1957 with their response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. 

The christening ceremony continues the trend of naming Virginia-class submarines after cities. Secretary Del Toro previously named USS Long Island (SSN 809), USS San Francisco (SSN 810), USS Miami (SSN 811), and USS Baltimore (SSN 812).

Attack submarines are designed to:

• seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships;
• project power ashore with Tomahawk cruise missiles and special operation forces (SOF);
• carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions;
• support battle group operations;
• and engage in mine warfare.