The USS Hawai'i, the Navy's newest attack submarine — the third submarine of the Virginia class, SSN 776 — will be commissioned during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony in Groton, Conn.

Adm. Gary Roughead, outgoing commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Gov. Linda Lingle is the sponsor of Hawai'i, the state's namesake submarine. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Lingle gives the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"

The 7,800-ton Hawai'i was built by the shipbuilder team of General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Conn., and Northrop Grumman Newport News.

The submarine is 377 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. Hawai'i 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. Hawai'i will ensure the United States maintains undersea dominance, in both deep and shallow waters, well into this century.