USS Connecticut

USS Connecticut

USS Connecticut Was Commissioned On December 11, 1998 @ 1pm In The Naval Submarine Base Groton, CT

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Info On CT Day at the Capitol On WEDNESDAY APRIL 20

The USS Connecticut during commissioning ceremonies Friday at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton.

Sub Connecticut joins the fleet
By ROBERT A. HAMILTON
Day Staff Writer

Groton — As the United States entered the 20th century, the battleship USS Connecticut was the flagship of the Navy’s Great White Fleet, a symbol of the country’s might on the high seas.

As the U.S. enters the 21st century, another warship will bear the Connecticut name, this time under the waves, said Vice Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, commander of the Atlantic submarine force.

Giambastiani formally placed the Connecticut into service Friday, the last submarine the Navy will commission this century. The year 1999 will mark the first since 1965 that the U.S. will not commission a nuclear submarine.

Crowds jammed the pier at the Naval Submarine Base by the 1 p.m. start of the ceremony, when the bell from the battleship Connecticut tolled once to mark the hour. At the end of the ceremony, as the flag was hoisted, the crew ran aboard to take its stations.

Gov. John G. Rowland noted that the first Connecticut sailed in protection of this country in 1776, and that the submarine commissioned Friday is the fifth warship to bear witness to the state’s maritime heritage. It is appropriate that the submarine Connecticut be commissioned as the world approaches a new century, he said.

"It sets the tone for the next century," Rowland said. "It proves the American military will continue to lead the way in technology. It assures America will continue to be the strongest world leader."

Connecticut first lady Patricia L. Rowland, the sponsor of the ship, recalled that when it was christened 15 months ago, she worried about the sailors on the pier swaying and near collapse from the heat.

"Today, I’m worried you’re all going to freeze in place," she joked, promising to keep her remarks brief so "her" crew could get comfortable.

Commissionings normally take place on a Saturday, but the Connecticut was taken into the fleet on a Friday so that U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., the principal speaker, could attend. Lieberman, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who fought for funding for the Connecticut and who Navy sources say had some influence on its naming, observes the Sabbath on Saturday.

"Know that wherever you are in the waters of the world, we, the people of Connecticut, are proudly with you," Lieberman said. "Thank you, and Godspeed."

John K. Welch, president of Electric Boat, which built the Connecticut, said lessons learned from building the first ship of the class, the USS Seawolf, were put to good use in construction of Connecticut.

"As good as the USS Seawolf is, and it is exceptional, Connecticut may be better still," Welch said. Navy officials have said that initial trials showed it to be quieter than the Seawolf.

Several of the speakers commented on the capability of the Electric Boat work force that built the second of the Seawolf class.

"They simply don’t come any better than the seasoned professionals and diligent workers at Electric Boat," said John H. Dalton, who was Navy secretary until last month and who named the ship for the state that has built most of the country’s nuclear submarines. Dalton’s term encompassed most of the construction period.

The Seawolf class is 353 feet long and displaces 9,150 tons, the largest attack submarine ever produced in this country, though automation has reduced the crew by about 10 men, to 133. It has eight torpedo tubes and can carry 50 weapons, giving it about twice the firepower of any previous class. The officers and enlisted men who drive the Connecticut say it is the fastest ship in the world as well, and quieter at tactical speeds than a Los Angeles-class attack submarine would be tied up at the pier.

Groton Town Mayor Jane Dauphanais said the Navy is an integral part of southeastern Connecticut, and that the people who work at Electric Boat put a special effort into making sure each ship is perfect.

Lieberman recalled a post-Cold War effort to kill the Seawolf program at one ship. After a five-year fight, Congress agreed to fund three of them: the Seawolf, the Connecticut, and the Jimmy Carter.

Commissioning the Connecticut

Yesterday, the Navy commissioned its first submarine named Connecticut at the Submarine Base in Groton. The occasion marked the entry into the Navy fleet of the most advanced submarine available in the world and it also denoted the last submarine to be bu ilt at Electric Boat and turned over to the Navy in this century.

No one understands better than the men and women of Electric Boat that this achievement comes at a particularly difficult time, for there are no nearly complete submarines in the Groton yard now. EB is fighting to stay in business and it will take creativ e management, superior work in the yard and even a little luck to bring to the yard enough work to sustain the production force. \par \par Yet in spite of the difficulties at hand, there was great pride in the boat evident throughout the commissioning ceremonies. This submarine truly is the states boat, for thousands of individuals have participated in its success. Everyone from yard workers who built the submarine in Groton, to corporate sponsors, to ordinary citizens who contributed to a scholarship fund to serve Connecticut students.

Throughout its construction and sea trials, Capt. Larry H. Davis and the crew have exemplified the spirit and the dedication that Connecticut citizens have always brought to industry and commerce. Fittingly, the advanced technology i ncorporated into the boat represents the tradition of innovation and experimentation so abundant in this state\rquote s industrial and research history.

Patricia Rowland, the wife of Gov. John G. Rowland, did a superior job as sponsor of the boat. And she clearly enjoyed the work.

This submarine, the second in the Seawolf class, possesses a mission and a capability far exceeding previous submarines commissioned by the Navy. The 353-foot submarine has a 40-foot beam and displaces 9,138 tons submerged and 8,060 to ns when surfaced. It has a crew of 14 officers and 120 enlisted personnel.

The submarine can operate deeper than 800 feet and can travel, when submerged, at speeds exceeding 25 knots.

The Connecticut will have Groton as its home port.

Capt. Davis, a former skipper of the 688-class attack submarine Groton, has been the prospective commander of the Connecticut since June 1996. He is scheduled soon to turn over the command of the Connecticut to Cmdr. Fritz Roegge, who has served as execut ive officer of USS Key West, SSN 722, out of Pearl Harbor.

Wayne Magro, of Electric Boat, is the Seawolf program manager. Kevin Devine was the ship's manager.

Officials said the lessons learned in building the Seawolf, the lead ship in the class, and the Connecticut will enable construction crews and engineers to deliver the Jimmy Carter, the next sub, much more easily.

The Connecticut is the fifth vessel in the Navy fleet named for this state. Others were a gunboat built in 1776, a sloop of war operated in 1799-1801, a steamer in the Civil War and a battleship which took part in the world cruise of the Great White Fleet.

All of Connecticut takes pride today in the submarine which bears the states name, sails in support of freedom and embodies the intelligence and skills of so many residents of this state.

NAVY TO COMMISSION ATTACK SUBMARINE CONNECTICUT (SSN 22) The U.S. Navy will commission its newest nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22), at Submarine Base New London, Conn., during a 1 p.m. ceremony Friday December 11, 1998. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Mrs. Patricia Rowland, wife of Connecticut Governor, John G. Rowland, is the ship's sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, Mrs. Rowland will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" Connecticut is the second ship of the Seawolf-class; the most capable attack submarine ever built. With mission and growth capability far beyond previous submarines, the robust design uniquely supports missions such as surveillance, intelligence collection, special warfare, covert cruise missile strike, mine warfare, anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare. In addition to its formidable open ocean presence, the Seawolf-class is also a highly capable shallow water warfare platform, setting the standard for submarine technology into the next century. Its inherent stealth, coupled with state-of-the-art sensors and advanced combat systems, make it one of the world's most advanced weapons systems and the benchmark for undersea excellence. Connecticut's flexibility and impressive capabilities provide the Navy with an undersea weapons platform to operate in any scenario against any threat - from under Arctic ice to shallow water. Armed with the battle-proven Tomahawk cruise missiles, Connecticut can safely conduct deep strike missions while submerged far off an enemy's coast. Connecticut also carries the Mark 48 advanced capability torpedo, the most reliable torpedo in the world for use against surface ships and submarines. Connecticut has twice as many torpedo tubes and 30 percent greater weapons capacity compared to the Los Angeles-class submarines. This submarine is named for the fifth State of the Union. Four previous U.S. Navy ships have been named Connecticut. The first, a gunboat (1776), participated in the battle of Valcour Island; the second, a sloop-of-war (799-1801), protected American shipping in the West Indies during the Quasi-War with France; the third, a steamer (1861-1865), contributed to the success of the Union blockade of the Confederacy during the Civil War; the fourth, a battleship (BB 18), took part in the famous world cruise of the "Great White Fleet." Following its commissioning, Connecticut will join the U.S. Atlantic Fleet with Capt. Larry Davis, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., as the commanding officer. Connecticut will be homeported in Groton, Conn., with a crew of 14 officers and 120 enlisted personnel. The submarine is 353 feet in length, with a 40 foot beam, and displaces approximately 9,138 tons submerged and 8,060 tons surfaced. Connecticut can operate at depths greater than 800 feet, and its nuclear reactor powers the submarine to speeds in excess of 25 knots when submerged.

Pics.

The Govenor talks about USS Connecticut

USS CT at it's christening

USS Connecticut under construction at EB

The USS Connecticut's crew on the sub while under construction at EB

Connecticut's First Lady, Patricial L. Rowland Breaks The Bottle on USS Connecticut @ It's Christening

What Is Inside The USS Connecticut

An Artist's Rendering Of A Sewolf Sub

Another Artist's Rendering

USS Connecticut's Modular Construction

Facts

Length 353 ft