The christening ceremony for the Virginia-class submarine Texas (SSN 775) was Saturday, July 31 at Northrop Grumman Newport News. Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States, is the ship’s sponsor and christened the ship named for her native state. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a republican from Texas, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony.

This ceremony marked the first submarine christening at Newport News in more than nine years since the company christened the final Los Angeles-class submarine, Cheyenne.

TEXAS (SSN 775) FACTS
Second submarine of the Virginia-class
Fourth U.S. Navy ship named for the state of Texas
Keel laid July 12, 2002
Texas is about 89 percent complete
First submarine to be christened at Newport News since 1995