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.)

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

When Will The Next Sub Be Named?

A couple of weeks ago, the SecNav announced the names of the next two destroyers -- USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) and USS Spruance (DDG 111). This got me thinking back to a post by Midnightwatch Cowboy last month wondering about what the Navy will name the next Virginia-class submarine, the SSN 780. Since it's been 2 1/2 years since the last one, New Mexico (SSN 779) was named, it seems like it should happen fairly soon.

Interestingly, Wikipedia already lists the name of the 780 boat as USS Massachusetts; of course, since pretty much anyone can edit a Wiki, I wouldn't accept that as the gospel. One of Midwatch Cowboy's commenters said they had heard USS Puerto Rico floating around; personally, I think California is past due (although, deep down, I'm rooting for Idaho).

What have any of you heard about this mystery?

Bell-ringer 2337 24 May: Edited to correct an embarrassing typo on Midwatch Cowboy's name, and to add a link to Vigilus' musings on a potential USS Idaho.

14 Comments:

Blogger midwatchcowboy said...

Ahemm, that's Midwatch Cowboy (not the movie about NYC male prostitutes). :)

5/24/2007 6:05 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

CALIFORNIA it will be.

5/24/2007 8:43 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why hasn't there been a submarine USS Idaho. I mean, with the original NPTU being in Idaho I would think they would have named a sub after Idaho. I know there is the Boise but Idaho (the state)needs a sub.

5/24/2007 10:15 AM

 
Blogger Lubber's Line said...

There is a move to have the next Virginia class sub named after the civil war ironclad USS Monitor. Remember that famous battle CSS Virginia and USS Monitor at Hampton Roads. My post on Lubber's Line
Honor the Monitor

5/24/2007 7:34 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, Bubblehead. What would the "USS Idaho" naturally, instantly and derisively be nicknamed?

Correct. No "USS SPUD" is currently in the cards for addition to the valiant submarine fleet at present. However, such decisions will always be very political, and you may assume safely that some half-baked congressperson will eventually champion the name.

Even Chappomatic would hesitate to command such a vessel knowing he would be called "Mr. Potatohead".
- Chapomatic's proxy

5/24/2007 7:43 PM

 
Blogger jeffox said...

Awww, c'mon! I'm for USS Minnesota - it'd be cool to see her up ta Duluth, if she can fit through the Soo locks. :)

5/25/2007 1:20 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-i/sp545.htm

For some history on a previous USS Idaho

5/25/2007 12:14 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Jeffox,

If USS Minnesota could fit through the channel and under the lift bridge at Duluth's Canal Park (which she easily could) then she could fit through the Soo locks.

I'd like to be setting on the raised outdoor deck at Grandma's eating a Monty-Christo sandwich and drinking a Long Island tea as the USS Minnesota came through the canal and into Duluth's harbor. What a sight that'd be....

Birdie

5/25/2007 3:40 PM

 
Blogger Patrick Hrabe said...

Here are a couple Idaho/Navy oolies:

Idaho currently is the home of the NAVSEA Acoustic Research Detachment in Bayview, ID on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille. We took our DEPpers there last year, and a lot of rumors exist in the local community about the base (such as the submarine LSV's being used to hunt the monster living in Lake Pend Oreille, or the underwater tunnel that runs from North Idaho to the Pacific Ocean...)

Idaho also used to be the home of Farragut Naval Training Center, training nearly 300,000 recruits from 1941 to 1946. A fellow recruiter and I were in attendence at the fiftieth anniversary of the base's closure, and the brig is still open to the public as a museum.

Personally, I think the Navy should go back to using names such as Scorpion, Barracuda, Hawkbill, Shark...one of the LSV's at Bayview is named Cutthroat (that's pretty cool.)

-Pat

5/25/2007 10:58 PM

 
Blogger Patrick Hrabe said...

Correction: We attended the 60th anniversary of the base's closure.

5/25/2007 11:03 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm rooting for USS OREGON. I mean, the last USS OREGON was "The Bulldog" that kicked some serious butt in the Spanish-American War. It's a name with a proud tradition. Now I wonder if the dirt-worshiping tree-huggers of my home state would allow a NUCLEAR submarine to be named in their honor. ...probably not!

5/26/2007 3:14 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The scoop on the factory floor is USS CALIFORNIA. Maybe we could get Gov. Schwarzenegger to make a Sub picture, or give Paris Hilton a reduced sentence in return for her sponsoring the ship! Between the Ohio class, the Battleships still listed as Reserve fleet, the occassional surface Combatant like the new Amphib's (USS NEW YORK). Every state should have a ship name after it by the time we are thru.

5/30/2007 12:59 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

uss montana ssn 780.

9/11/2007 12:48 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just got orders and they say USS Missouri. Does anyone know what the crew does on a new construction?

4/12/2008 1:06 PM

 

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