PCU New Mexico Launched
PCU New Mexico (SSN 779), which was christened last month, was launched on Sunday, marking another milestone in her construction. Here's the first picture released of her in the water:
Note that she's still pretty light, in that part of her propulsor is visible above the waterline. Here's a "before" picture of her being rolled out prior to the launch. Other pictures of the boat and the various ceremonies they've held to date are available here. She's supposed to be commissioned around August -- can't wait to welcome the new boat to the fleet!
posted by Bubblehead at 4:09 AM
17 Comments:
Oh man is she ever beautiful. How do we go about schmoozing the detailer to get me on a 774?
1/23/2009 10:02 AM
In the "before" picture, can anyone identify those two circular features in front of the torpedo tubes? I have never seen those in other out of water pictures of Virginia class submarines. I have noticed them in drawings of the new Block 3 Virigina class bow but I can't figure out what they are.
1/23/2009 10:37 AM
They're too big to be torpedo tubes... I guess you could launch an ICBM horizontally, but why would you want to?
1/23/2009 11:29 AM
the circular features are wsq-9, a system being backfit to 688's/older 774's and being built in the newer 774's. It's an acoustic analyzing system.
1/23/2009 1:25 PM
Thanks!
I really like it when we get to see pictures like this.
I have toured both LA & Seawolf subs but I haven't had a chance to tour a Virginia yet.
IT was interesting to tour USS Seawolf and then tour it again a year later and see how much stuff they change.
1/23/2009 2:05 PM
Mark-
Good call on them being too big to be torpedo tubes. The comment about launching ICBM's was great as well. I read a bit of your blog, and you're also right about how much smarter U of I guys are than Academy grads and 2 year SWO's.
1/24/2009 4:10 AM
I was wondering if there were a ceremony going on and everyone had to get close to the side of the pier to look down at the deck? I can remember a few official ceremonies where someone forgot to check the tides...
Beautiful photos!
1/24/2009 5:24 AM
She's not "light" - she's still on the blocks in the floating drydock.
1/24/2009 5:48 AM
Good call! That is a much more likely explanation than my initial guess.
1/24/2009 10:15 AM
She's no longer in the drydock. They moved her to an actual pier last Monday, and she is indeed sitting lower now
1/24/2009 10:48 AM
This comment has been removed by the author.
1/24/2009 10:51 AM
http://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/2007/05/papa-foxtrot-mike.html#comments
1/26/2009 4:51 PM
ICBM?? Through those little holes?? Come on!
And "light??" That would be REALLY light.
2/09/2009 7:48 AM
Well, I don't actually consider this is likely to have success.
12/01/2011 7:35 AM
No one figured out in over 3 years that Mark's comment was a quote from the 1990 movie "The Hunt for Red October."
Dr. Ryan and Skip Tyler talking about the "Caterpillar Drive" on the Russian Sub.
They're too big to be torpedo tubes... I guess you could launch an ICBM horizontally, but why would you want to?
4/18/2012 1:27 AM
This could be a caterpillar.
A what?
Uh, a caterpillar drive.
Magneto-hydrodynamic propulsion.
You follow?
No.
It's like a...
a jet engine for the water.
4/18/2012 1:44 AM
Only it's got no moving parts,
so it's very, very quiet.
Like how quiet?
It's doubtful our sonar
would even pick it up.
And if it did,
it would sound
like whales humping
or a seismic anomaly.
Anything but a submarine.
4/18/2012 1:50 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home