USS New Mexico (SSN-779)

For other ships with the same name, see USS New Mexico.
The christening of New Mexico on 13 December 2008.
History
Name: USS New Mexico
Namesake: The State of New Mexico
Ordered: 14 August 2003
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down: 12 April 2008
Christened: 13 December 2008
Launched: 18 January 2009[1]
Commissioned: 27 March 2010[2]
Homeport: Groton, Connecticut
Motto: Defendemos nuestra tierra (Spanish: "We defend our land")[3][4]
Status: In active service with Submarine Development Squadron 12
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Virginia-class submarine
Displacement: 7,900 tonnes (7,800 long tons)
Length: 377 ft (115 m)
Beam: 34 ft (10 m)
Propulsion: S9G reactor
Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h)+
Range: Essentially unlimited distance; 33 years
Complement: 130
Armament:

12 × VLS (BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile)

4 × 533mm torpedo tubes (Mk-48 ADCAP torpedo)

USS New Mexico (SSN-779), a Virginia-class submarine, is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 47th state. She is the second of the Virginia Block II submarines to enter service.

Construction

The contract to build her was awarded to Northrop Grumman Newport News in Newport News, Virginia on 14 August 2003. She is the Navy's sixth Virginia-class submarine, has one million parts and 140 shipboard systems.[5] The sub was built by a joint agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN).[5] Construction began in January 2004 at the Electric Boat Corporation, Groton, Connecticut and Quonset Point, Rhode Island facilities, for the construction of the straight sections.[5][6] The individual components were shipped to Newport News for final assembly.[5] Her keel was laid down on 12 April 2008, and on 18 May 2008 the final hull welds were completed.[7] She was christened on 13 December 2008, with Cindy Giambastiani (wife of Adm. Edmund Giambastiani) the boat's sponsor, and Representative Heather Wilson (1st District-New Mexico) the keynote speaker.[8]

The boat was launched on 18 January 2009 and was originally scheduled for delivery in August 2009.[1][9] The date of delivery was pushed back to November and the scheduled commissioning date was postponed to early 2010 after mechanical problems were found with her torpedo room weapons-handling system.[10] New Mexico completed builder's trials at the end of November 2009[11] and was delivered on 29 December 2009, four months ahead of the contract delivery date.[12] She was commissioned on 27 March 2010.[13] USS New Mexico is currently homeported in Groton, Connecticut at Naval Submarine Base New London.[14]

Command

Commander Mark A. Prokopius assumed command of New Mexico following her placement in active service on 27 March 2010. CDR (now CAPT) George Perez Jr. relieved as CO of USS New Mexico in October 2010, before being relieved by CDR Todd Moore in September 2013. CDR Moore was relieved in January 2016 by CDR Dan Reiss.

Operational history

In February 2012, New Mexico rendezvoused with the Royal Navy submarine HMS Astute underwater in the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center in the Bahamas for a series of war games. Present on-board each submarine were the head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope and the head of the United States Navy, Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert in an historic underwater meeting between the leaders of both navies.

New Mexico undertook her maiden deployment from February–August 2013. She also participated in ICEX 1-14 from March–April 2014, becoming the second Virginia-class submarine to surface at the North Pole in the process.[15]

Ship's crest

The crest of New Mexico was designed by Emilee Sena, a senior at St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her winning design was chosen by the crew of the New Mexico out of 180 submitted from schools throughout the state.[16][17]

The design incorporates an image of a New Mexico sunset, representing the beauty that makes New Mexico the "Land of Enchantment". The Sandia Mountains are shown at the time of the day when they demonstrate why they are called the Sandias–their pink shade. The red in the upper right corner represents the red in the US flag, symbolizing valor and the blood that has been sacrificed in battle. The blue in the lower left corner represents the blue of the American flag, symbolizing justice, vigilance, and perseverance. The Zia symbol represents the state flag, as well as the prominence of the sun in New Mexico. The shape of the emblem is unique because it reflects the influence of the Native American people in New Mexico, the shape is a design that can be commonly found in Native American art, such as blankets and pots.[16][17]

The naval dolphins on the sides are symbols for naval submarines. They shine with a white color because they represent the white on the American flag. This color symbolizes purity and innocence. The submarine in the center represents what the USS New Mexico is–a Virginia-class submarine. It has a bow wave in front of it because it is in motion. The people on top of the ship are naval officers, holding a flag. The bird along the hull is a roadrunner ( Geococcyx ), the state bird of New Mexico, known as a fast, agile, and fearless hunter. The gold in the border symbolizes courage, prosperity, wisdom, and confidence: perceived qualities for members of the Navy.[16][17]

There is a nuclear symbol in the bottom left corner for two purposes, one to represent that the Virginia-class submarines are nuclear submarines and that a lot of nuclear development has taken place in New Mexico at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and so this honors the people that have, and will contribute to the growth of nuclear advancements.[16][17]

In honor of those who serve aboard the New Mexico, the football players of New Mexico State University wore the crest on the back of their helmets for the 2010 football season.[18]

References

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register and various press releases.

  1. 1 2 Frost, Peter, "Submarine New Mexico Launched", Daily Press, 23 January 2009.
  2. ↑ USS New Mexico (SSN-779) | Website of Submarine USS New Mexico
  3. ↑ Ceremony of commissioning of USS New Mexico (SSN-779)
  4. ↑ The ship's commissioning ceremony
  5. 1 2 3 4 Construction Status – USS New Mexico – New Mexico Council, Navy League of the United States.
  6. ↑ NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive: New Mexico (SSN-779) – NavSource Naval History
  7. ↑ "'Pressure Hull Complete' for Northrop Grumman-Built New Mexico Submarine" – Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding – 19 May 2008
  8. ↑ "Photo Release – Northrop Grumman Christens Sixth Virginia-Class Submarine, New Mexico (SSN 779)" (Press release). Northrop Grumman Corporation. 13 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
  9. ↑ "USS New Mexico & Navy’s Submarine Acquisition Program" – USS New Mexico website – (PDF)
  10. ↑ McCabe, Robert, "New Mexico Sub Commissioning Delayed", Virginian-Pilot, 4 September 2009.
  11. ↑ Cavas, Christopher P., "New submarine on sea trials", Navy Times, 3 December 2009.
  12. ↑ Frost, Peter, "Northrop Grumman delivers New Mexico sub to Navy", Daily Press, 30 December 2009.
  13. ↑ Frost, Peter, "Navy Prepares To Commission Newport News-Built Sub New Mexico", Daily Press, 26 March 2010.
  14. ↑ Adams, Kathy, and Lauren King, "Navy Brings New $2.3 Billion Submarine To Life in Norfolk", Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 28 March 2010.
  15. ↑ http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304679404579461630946609454
  16. 1 2 3 4 Contest – USS New Mexico website
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Albuquerque student's crest design to grace USS New Mexico" – Associated Press – (c/o Santa Fe New Mexican) – 17 January 2007
  18. ↑ NMSU Football to honor USS New Mexico
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