Updated at 1:52 p.m., Thursday, December 21, 2006
USS Hawai'i nuclear sub on its way here
Advertiser Staff
The USS Hawai'i, the third Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine in the Navy's arsenal, is expected to be delivered to the Navy tomorrow on the East Coast, several weeks ahead of schedule.General Dynamics Electric Boat will mark the event with a ceremony in Groton, Conn. The Hawai`i is expected to be formally commissioned by the Navy in the spring and, after final outfitting, will be based at Pearl Harbor.
The eventual arrival of the Hawai'i — the first of up to three of the new subs expected at Pearl Harbor — comes as the Navy prepares to tilt the balance of nuclear submarines from the Atlantic to the Pacific to meet a changing threat.
The USS Hawai'i, at 377 feet, is 17 feet longer than the Los Angeles-class submarines at Pearl Harbor. It will have a crew of 134.
A maximum of 24 torpedoes can be carried, and a center section can be removed to create berthing for 30 SEAL commandos.
