Virginia-Class Submarine Texas Reaches Major Construction
Milestone
Newport News, Va.
-- Nov. 7, 2003 -- Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) Newport News held
a ceremony today to commemorate the pressure hull completion for the
Virginia-class submarine Texas (SSN 775). The ceremony
marked the completion of the submarine's final hull welds, making
the entire pressure hull a single unit. It is the last major construction
milestone before the Texas is christened next summer.
Many of the 2,000
Newport News employees who are building the Virginia-class
submarines attended the ceremony and lunch in appreciation for achieving
this milestone. Representatives from Northrop Grumman Newport News,
General Dynamics Electric Boat and the U.S. Navy participated in the
ceremony and praised employees for their hard work.
"It took a lot
of hard work and long hours to get where we are today," said Don Check,
Northrop Grumman Newport News vice president of Submarines. "And I
thank my fellow shipbuilders for doing that. I'm proud to be one of
you."
Northrop Grumman
Newport News is teamed with General Dynamics Electric Boat to build
the first 10 ships of the Virginia class. Texas,
the second ship of the class, is 82 percent complete.
"The Virginia
class program is alive and well and moving forward," said Captain
John Heffron, Virginia class program manger for the Navy.
"Pressure hull completion is a very significant milestone. The ship
is starting to look like a finished submarine."
Named for the lone
star state, Texas will provide undersea supremacy well into
the 21st century. With improved stealthiness, sophisticated surveillance
capabilities and special warfare enhancements, Texas will
be the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world
when it joins the fleet in 2005.
Northrop Grumman
Newport News, headquartered in Newport News, Va., is the nation's
sole designer, builder, and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers
and one of only two companies capable of designing and building nuclear-powered
submarines. Newport News also provides after-market services for a
wide array of naval and commercial vessels. The Newport News sector
employs about 18,000 people.
Click
here for photos from the ceremony.
