The USS Hawaii, the first of the new Virginia-class submarines to be homeported at Pearl Harbor, is scheduled to arrive July 23 at the sub base to pomp and a 50th statehood anniversary ceremony.

The 9:30 a.m. arrival ceremony at the submarine piers also marks the first time that one of the Navy's latest-generation attack submarines is based in the Pacific.

A host of officials, including Gov. Linda Lingle, the ship's "sponsor," is expected to greet the Hawaii and its crew. Lingle will briefly board Hawaii via a small boat before the ceremony.

The arrival of the state's namesake submarine, the first to be named for the 50th state, also will be feted as part of statehood celebrations.

The approximately $2.5 billion submarine is capable of supporting a variety of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, actions involving special operations forces, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and mine warfare.

There are 16 older Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines based at Pearl Harbor. The 377-foot Hawaii will be followed by another Virginia-class sub, the Texas, in the fall.

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai'i, previously said the USS North Carolina also would be based at Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor and Groton, Conn., initially will be the home port for all new Virginia-class submarines, the Navy said.

CAREFUL MANEUVERS

Commissioned May 5, 2007, the Hawaii was the third Virginia-class attack submarine built. The sub and its crew of more than 130 left the Naval Submarine Base at Groton on May 13 for Pearl Harbor.

Cmdr. Ed Herrington, the sub's commanding officer, said on a USS Hawaii blog that the ship spent about nine hours last Friday passing through three sets of Panama Canal locks and a large lake on the way to the Pacific.

"The locks are challenging for any ship and especially for submarines," Herrington said. "We don't have bow thrusters on submarines, so fitting a 7,600-ton submarine into a 110-foot-wide canal is to say the least interesting."

Line handlers topside had to haul in heavy cables to secure the boat to the lock as the ship drifted within feet of the canal walls.

Although Hawaii is a new submarine, it was the sub's third trip through the Panama Canal, Herrington said. Three sailors received their "Dolphins," or submarine warfare pin, during the transit.

For those who want to read about the sub's progress, the blog is at http://usshawaiissn776.blogspot.com.

ANTI-DRUG EFFORT

During its maiden deployment, USS Hawaii became only the second Naval submarine in history to receive a U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Citation for its efforts in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South counter-drug operations.

The Hawaii is part of a new Navy emphasis on the Pacific, with a planned shift that will position 60 percent of its attack subs in the Pacific, and 40 percent in the Atlantic.

By the end of 2009, 31 of the Navy's 53 fast attack submarines will be homeported in the Pacific Ocean, with 22 in the Atlantic.

The Navy said dozens of countries, including North Korea and Iran, have quiet diesel electric subs, and more than 180 foreign submarines operate in the Pacific within reach of critical chokepoints and navigational sea lanes.

Attack submarines can defend against other subs, shadow carrier strike groups, conduct covert surveillance as nations like China become increasingly territorial, and launch Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The new Virginia-class subs have the ability to maneuver closer to shore, and have lockout chambers for up to nine commandos.