SSN 783 Name Announced (L.E. SSN 784 Too)
(See update at bottom; it turns out that two submarines were named today.)
According to a statement from Sen. Byron Dorgan, SSN
“This is great news for North Dakota. It’s a testament to the respect the Navy has for our state that the next Virginia-class submarine will be the USS North Dakota,” Senator Dorgan said. “North Dakota may be landlocked, but our state has contributed a great deal to the U.S. Navy. This ship will be a fitting tribute that should be a source of pride for all of our veterans.”...It's as good a name as any, but I can certainly imagine Dave Barry cracking some jokes as the boat comes up for christening.
...“There hasn’t been a ship named after the State of North Dakota in 85 years,” Hoeven said. “That’s why together we put on a full court press to get the Navy to name a submarine after our state, and we were successful. I think the more than 1,000 pictures colored by our young people which we presented to Donald Winter, Secretary of the Navy, impressed him with the grassroots effort our state made to name a submarine USS North Dakota.”
Senator Dorgan invited Senator Conrad, Congressman Pomeroy, Governor Hoeven, and a group of prominent North Dakotans earlier this year to take part in the effort to convince the Navy Secretary to designate a new USS North Dakota. The result was the formation of the USS North Dakota Committee. Dorgan asked former Secretary of State Warren Christopher, a native of Scranton, N.D., to act as honorary chair of the committee.
Senators Dorgan and Conrad, Congressman Pomeroy and Governor Hoeven led a delegation last month in a meeting with Navy Secretary Donald Winter at the Pentagon. The group outlined a plan for how North Dakota will support the ship and its crew. They said that after so many decades, the time is right for the Navy to name a new ship after North Dakota.
Bell-ringer 2357 16 July: When I posted this morning, I assumed that only one submarine would be named today; they actually designated two:
The Navy announced on July 15 that the next two Virginia-class attack submarines will be named the USS Minnesota and the USS North Dakota.And in answer to the commenter who wondered why Montana was left out... it turns out that there has been a USS Montana. It just got renamed after 12 years, right before it was decommissioned.
The selection of Minnesota, designated SSN 783, honors the state's citizens and their continued support to our nation's military. Minnesota has a long tradition of honoring its veterans of wars past and present. The state is proud to be home to 46 Medal of Honor recipients that span from the Civil War to the Vietnam War.
This will be the third ship to bear the state name. The first USS Minnesota, a sailing steam frigate, was commissioned in 1857 and served during the Civil War, remaining in service until her decommissioning in 1898. The second Minnesota was commissioned in 1907. On December 16, 1907 she departed Hampton Roads as one of the 16 battleships of the Great White Fleet sent by then-President Theodore Roosevelt on a voyage around the world. She continued her service through World War I, and was decommissioned in 1921.
The selection of the North Dakota, designated SSN 784, honors the state's citizens and veterans and their strong military support and heritage from the Frontier Wars through the Cold War and currently the war on terrorism. Seventeen North Dakotans have received the Medal of Honor for actions in combat, including Master Sgt. Woodrow W. Keeble who posthumously received the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony on March 3, 2008. This is the second ship to bear the name North Dakota. The first ship, the Delaware-class USS North Dakota, was in service from 1910 through 1923.
posted by Bubblehead at 5:34 AM
20 Comments:
North Dakota is actually SSN-784.
SSN-783 will be announced today as...
7/15/2008 6:42 AM
Navy Names Two Virginia Class Submarines
The Navy announced today that the next two Virginia-class attack submarines will be named the USS Minnesota and the USS North Dakota.
The selection of Minnesota, designated SSN 783, honors the state’s citizens and their continued support to our nation’s military. Minnesota has a long tradition of honoring its veterans of wars past and present. The state is proud to be home to 46 Medal of Honor recipients that span from the Civil War to the Vietnam War.
This will be the third ship to bear the state name. The first USS Minnesota, a sailing steam frigate, was commissioned in 1857 and served during the Civil War, remaining in service until her decommissioning in 1898. The second Minnesota was commissioned in 1907. On December 16, 1907 she departed Hampton Roads as one of the 16 battleships of the Great White Fleet sent by President Theodore Roosevelt on a voyage around the world. She continued her service through World War I, and was decommissioned in 1921.
The selection of the North Dakota, designated SSN 784, honors the state’s citizens and veterans and their strong military support and heritage from the Frontier Wars through the Cold War and currently the Global War on Terrorism. Seventeen North Dakotans have received the Medal of Honor for actions in combat,including Master Sgt. Woodrow W. Keeble who posthumously received the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony on March 3, 2008. This is the second ship to bear the name North Dakota. The first ship, the Delaware-class battleship USS North Dakota , was in service from 1910 through 1923.
These next-generation attack submarines will provide the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation's undersea supremacy well into the 21st century. They will have improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that will enable them to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements.
North Dakota and Minnesota will have the capability to attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other sea-based forces. Other missions include anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare; special forces delivery and support; and mine delivery and minefield mapping.
The Virginia-class is 7,800-tons and 377 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. It is designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship – reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12067
7/15/2008 8:34 AM
When will it be Montana's turn? If I'm not mistaken, Montana is the only state that has not had a navy ship named for her. (Note that I don't include the ill fated "Montana" class BB's that were to follow the Iowa's None of those were ever built.)
You would think they could get at least one.
7/15/2008 9:58 AM
The Sea-Bees already use the name of the North Dakota metropolis "Can DO" as their motto.
What else can your Navy do to thank the good people of North Dakota?
7/15/2008 11:25 AM
I love how this was misreported all over the place. Way to go ND Congressional Delegation. Don't they know that Minnesota always comes before the Peace Garden State?
7/15/2008 11:40 AM
Huh...I think that I cooked that delegation's lunch at the Pentagon. Pretty cool. The USS North Dakota, quite a mouthful.
7/15/2008 11:49 AM
CS1,
easier to say than USS City of Corpus Christi.
7/15/2008 12:40 PM
I've said it before and I'll say it again.. submarines should be named after fish. USS WAHOO sounds much better than USS MINNESOTA on a submarine. Use SEAWOLF's example, incorporate a sponsor city in their motto or logo. Just an old sailors lament...
7/16/2008 11:47 AM
Politics 101. Fish don't vote! Nor do they have access to Congress.
7/16/2008 12:13 PM
Nor do fish have Congress Persons who will vote them a budget package.
That Damn Good Looking Aganger From Iowa
7/16/2008 1:19 PM
What 630-738 said... name the boat for a fish, and use a state motto as the boat's emblem motto. Even better if the fish is a state fish...
7/16/2008 1:47 PM
Wasn't the boomer from the movie The Abyss called Montana? Isn't that enough, Roy? What more do you want? Kwicherbichin... Sheesh...
7/16/2008 5:05 PM
Reading the history on Montana's, I'm not sure that name isn't jinxed.
But, we're probably going to have to use Montana, because I seem to recall that the ultimate number of submarines is planned to be around 48. The only thing I can't recall is - is that SSN's or all? If it's SSN's, we're going to have to use some names other than states (with the BN's already sucking up 18 of them).
7/16/2008 11:32 PM
Where will these boats be? Groton? Are all Va class apart of SUBRON4.. Old CO of connecticut just took over command there. Good guy..
7/17/2008 6:13 AM
Just to add a little to the historical perspective above, the U.S.S. Minnesota that served during the Civil War got shot to pieces, set afire, and nearly sunk by C.S.S. Virginia/Merrimac. She was saved (from what I understand) by the timely arrival of the brand-spanking new U.S.S. Monitor's arrival and engagement of the Virginia.
BTW, I'm from Minnesota, and am a plankowner on the CoCC. :)
7/19/2008 8:05 AM
Wasn't USS MONTANA also the SSBN in "The Fifth Missile"? Man, that was on awesome made-for-TV movie! Brings back great memories of painting underway....
7/19/2008 9:14 PM
There were three ships of the line named after Montana, the first was a North Carolina class Armored Cruiser of 14,500 dwt and was actually in the Battle Cruiser weight, Large for her day, after decommissioning she was renamed the USS Missoula a city in Montana, in perspective she was larger than most Battleships that preceded her in 1905. The second Montana was BB51, with a displacement of 43,200 tons and was of the earlier South Dakota Class, Her keel was laid down in 1920, and was scrapped do to the Washington Limitation Treaty, the third Montana was a Monster BB67 of 60,500 tonnes, and was larger than the Iowa Class and was a Class on to her own, there were to be 5 built, but construction was halted do to WWII winding down, she would have been one of the largest Battleships ever made, there were numerous Ships and Crafts named after Cities, Towns, Indian Tribes, Rivers and Montanans, too numerous to name here but can be Googled. Warm Regards Bosun Tom Dorsher, CWO2 USN Ret. North Dakotan
8/26/2008 2:14 PM
Aboard both the USS Minnesota and the USS North Dakota, the term "Aye, Aye Sir," will be changed to "You betcha sir."
5/12/2010 9:44 AM
Aboard both the USS Minnesota and the USS North Dakota, the term "Aye, Aye Sir," will be changed to "You betcha sir."
-That's hilarious! I'm a future plankowner of the Minnesota. I'll be reporting there in November.
6/30/2010 7:13 PM
It won't really have effect, I consider like this.
9/14/2012 5:15 AM
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