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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 5:34 p.m., Monday, August 21, 2006

Pearl to get new sub, Navy secretary confirms

By William Cole
Advertiser Staff Writer

Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter today confirmed that the USS Hawaii, a new Virginia Class submarine, will be based at Pearl Harbor. He also said the state is in the running to be the homeport of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

A decision on the Vinson is expected to be made in April or May.

The aircraft carrier had been based in Bremerton, Wash., and is undergoing nuclear reactor refueling on the East Coast, a process that will take another three years.

Winter said it is an "open decision" as to where in the Pacific the carrier will go. He said it could go in the Pacific Northwest, San Diego, Hawai'i or Guam.

He spoke to reporters in Hawai'i on his first trip as Navy secretary and is expected to also stop in Guam and Japan, including Okinawa.