Summary
USS John Warner (SSN-785) is a nuclear powered Virginia-class attack submarine of the United States Navy. She is the first in the class to be named after a person; the first 11 Virginia-class subs were named after states.[5] John Warner was originally to be built by the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut, but the contract was later transferred to Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding. She is the second of the Block III subs, which have a revised bow and some technology from Ohio-class cruise missile submarines.[6] The vessel supports 40 weapons, special operations forces, unmanned undersea vehicles, and the Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS).
 John Warner during the commissioning ceremony.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS John Warner |
| Namesake | John Warner |
| Awarded | 22 December 2008 |
| Builder | GD Electric Boat and HII Newport News |
| Laid down | 16 March 2013 |
| Sponsored by | Jeanne Warner |
| Christened | 6 September 2014 |
| Launched | 10 September 2014 |
| Commissioned | 1 August 2015 |
| Homeport | Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia |
| Identification | SSN-785 |
| Motto |
|
| Status | in active service[1] |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Virginia-class submarine |
| Displacement | 7,800 tonnes (7,700 long tons) |
| Length | 114.9 m (377 ft) |
| Beam | 10.3 m (34 ft) |
| Installed power | S9G reactor; 33 year service life[4] |
| Propulsion | Pump-jet propulsor 40,000 shp (30,000 kW)[2] |
| Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[3] |
| Range | Essentially unlimited distance |
| Complement | 132 Sailors |
| Crew | 15 Officers and 117 Enlisted [1] |
| Armament | 12 × VLS (BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile) & 4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (Mk-48 torpedo) |
The name was announced on 8 January 2009, five days after John Warner, a Republican from Virginia, retired after serving 30 years as a United States senator,[7] making John Warner the 13th U.S. Navy vessel to be named for a living person in the last hundred years.
Construction began on 29 April 2009 with the keel laying ceremony being held on 16 March 2013. Because of the modular construction sequence, the submarine was reportedly already about 59% complete before the official keel laying.[8] The submarine was christened on 6 September 2014.[9] John Warner was commissioned on 1 August 2015 with Commander Dan Caldwell in command.[10][11]
On 14 April 2018, while on her first deployment,[12] USS John Warner took part in targeted strikes against Syrian military facilities.[13] She fired six Tomahawk cruise missiles, in what was believed to be the first combat use of her class of submarines.[14]
References edit
- ^ a b "John Warner (SSN 785)". Naval Vessel Register. 25 June 2015.
- ^ Ragheb, M (11 November 2010). "Nuclear Marine Propulsion" (PDF). Rensselaer Hartford. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2015.
- ^ "US Navy Fact File". US Navy Fact File. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
- ^ "U.S. Naval Reactors". Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ "About the Submarine". Huntington Ingalls Industries. Archived from the original on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ^ "Virginia Block III: The Revised Bow". Retrieved 20 May 2008.
- ^ "Navy Names Virginia Class Submarine USS John Warner". DefenseLink.mil. 8 January 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
- ^ "Huntington Ingalls Industries". Globenewswire.com. 16 March 2013. Archived from the original on 25 March 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
- ^ "Warner Christening". Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- ^ Copeland, Kevin. ""On a Mission to Defend Freedom" – USS John Warner is Commissioned". America's Navy. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
- ^ "Virginia-Class Block III Submarine USS John Warner (SSN 785) Commissioned". 4 August 2015.
- ^ Werner, Ben (16 April 2018). "USS John Warner is First Virginia-Class Attack Sub to Fire Missiles in Anger - USNI News". USNI News. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "US submarine John Warner launched Tomahawks into Syria: Pentagon - Map of Syrian Civil War - Syria news today - syria.liveuamap.com". Map of Syrian Civil War - Syria news today - syria.liveuamap.com. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ Mehta, Aaron; Copp, Tara (14 April 2018). "Coalition launched 105 weapons against Syria, with none intercepted, DoD says". Military Times. Retrieved 14 April 2018.