Keeping the blogosphere posted on the goings on of the world of submarines since late 2004... and mocking and belittling general foolishness wherever it may be found. Idaho's first and foremost submarine blog. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me; don't call me at home.)

Thursday, August 28, 2008

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.

9 Comments:

Blogger David said...

I thought it was the Pierwolf.

8/28/2008 11:47 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

David,
Sometimes this or Building 21.

8/28/2008 2:37 PM

 
Blogger David said...

ha!

I forgot about that one....

8/28/2008 3:29 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I heard they named SSN 23 after Jimmy Carter because both the former president and the Seawolf class are associated with inflation.

8/28/2008 6:21 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wonder if the New Hampshire will not be able to get underway because the Virginia will be using its propulsor?

8/28/2008 6:22 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A little off the subject, but I was on the Seawolf Aka Building 21 around the time SSN 23 was named the Jimmy Carter. Right before PSA in '98 Jimmy Carter toured our boat. We cleaned quite a bit for that tour. On the tour he went back aft. While in Lower Level the watch was filling an RFT and over filled it just at the point Jimmy Carter made his way down there. I guess it was a pretty funny site with the LL watch sucking the bilge dry while Jimmy is down there.
MM2/SS

8/28/2008 8:59 PM

 
Blogger Alicia said...

I have heard a rumor that the New Hampshire's delivery is mostly a PR stint, and that alot of systems on the boat still don't work as they should, and its just a way for EB to start racking up the big bucks for hotel charges, since the boat still cannot really go anywhere.

8/29/2008 10:54 AM

 
Blogger David said...

wouldn't doubt it.

For Future Use at the taxpayers expense.

8/29/2008 11:49 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've always wondered... wouldn't it have been cheaper and more effective in the end to have kept building Seawolves and doing slow spiral development on them, than to trash everything, start over with Virginia, and keep paying essentially the same price for a lesser sub?

9/02/2008 5:08 PM

 

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