PCU New Hampshire (SSN 778) Delivered

Barely five years after the contract to build her was issued, the Virginia-class submarine New Hampshire was delivered to the Navy earlier today -- $40 million under budget. An impressive performance by all involved, but those involved in the well-deserved backslapping have to be careful not to make their claims too extravagant. From this article in Foster's Daily Democrat:

Eight months ahead of schedule and $40 million under budget, the New Hampshire will officially be turned over to the Navy today at a special shipyard ceremony held in Groton, Conn.
The New Hampshire is the nation's newest and most advanced nuclear attack submarine and the fifth ship of the Virginia Class.
Will Lennon, vice president of General Dynamics Electric Boat, said the submarine is a prime example of how dedicated and experienced his workforce is when it comes to delivering first-rate submarines to the U.S. Navy...
...The New Hampshire marks the third Virginia Class submarine that Electric Boat has delivered, and is by far the cheapest and fastest submarine built in modern times, said Lennon.

[Emphasis mine] That last part's not in quotes, so I'm going to assume that the EB VP was actually saying it was the most quickly-built submarine of "modern times", and not the "fastest". Clearly, it's not anywhere near as fast as a submarine delivered as recently as December 2004, and even slower than one delivered in 1998. (The fact that I was the first Eng on both those Seawolf-class boats in no way influences my objectivity.) I've said it before and I'll say it again: Stealth is nice, but speed is life when it come to submarine combat. Luckily, all four classes of U.S. subs have enough of both to outclass any potential adversary.