This dream came true for 18 committee members when the Commanding Officer, CDR Mark Prokopius, extended an invitation to spend a day at sea on the submarine. It was his way to show these volunteers his appreciation for their long-standing dedication and hard work. The group journeyed to Port Canaveral, Florida and on February 18th, long before sunrise, boarded the boat. The maneuvering watch was already set and tugboats stood by to assist.

Following a greeting on the pier by the Executive Officer, LCDR Stan Stewart, and a short climb down a hatch aft of the sail, the visitors were escorted to the wardroom for a hearty breakfast. About an hour later, they took turns touring auxiliary machinery spaces, berthing spaces, crews mess, galley, lockout chamber, torpedo room and control room while transiting to deep water. For those interested in a visit to the bridge, a 35-ft vertical climb to the bridge put them in the cockpit where one can see the bow skimming just under the surface, with white water churning on both sides, trailing a huge wake behind the rudder. A “dive box” had been established about 45 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral. Once NEW MEXICO reached the 100-fathom curve, she dived 400 feet beneath the rolling waves.

LCDR Stan Stewart (XO) Greets Dick Brown Pierside

Ready to Head to Sea

It is a Long Way to the Bridge!

A View from the Bridge

Joe and Nancy Loisel Learn the Fine Art of Torpedo Handling

The boat then conducted “battle stations torpedo” drills and demonstrated the numerous shipboard activities associated with such an exercise, including simulating the firing of a torpedo, in this case, a “water slug”. Committee members spent considerable time in the control room, observing our sailors, truly young professionals, at their assigned stations, including fire control, radar, sonar, navigation, photonics, navigation and ship control. The latter station is manned by two senior enlisted men; one is the pilot, the other the co-pilot. They control depth, speed, direction, and trim using touch-screen monitors and joysticks. Instead of traditional hull-penetrating periscopes, NEW MEXICO has two photonic masts with electronic cameras, fiber optic imagery and multiple flat-screen monitors for viewing surface conditions and movements of other ships. There are about 50 flat-screen monitors in the control room to facilitate information-sharing and decision-making. NEW MEXICO uses “paperless” navigation, meaning digital charts and electronic plotting.

David Mathis and Phil Castillo in the Control Room with LT Chris Bryan (Navigator)

NEW MEXICO’s culinary specialists, trained at La Posta de Mesilla in New Mexico, take great pride in preparing New Mexico cuisine and impressed their lunchtime visitors with fajitas and tacos.

A New Mexican Lunch was Served

The Wardroom Prepared for Dinner

This trip provided an opportunity to see the Southwest-style bunk curtains that were manufactured in Las Cruces, NM.  Three different designs really dress up officer staterooms, chiefs quarters and enlisted crew berths, and add a New Mexico theme to the boat.

Bunk Curtains Add a New Mexican Look to the Boat

Charlie Brown with the Culinary Specialist Division

The Colors of New Mexico Flew Proudly from the Bridge

This undersea experience was as rewarding for members of the home-state support team as it was for the 134 sailors who take great pride in demonstrating what their submarine can do.  NEW MEXICO will continue with shakedown operations at sea, testing systems and training personnel, right up to commissioning.  She will change homeport to Groton, CT this summer and then enter drydock for Post-Shakedown Availability - a standard retrofit that all new submarines undergo.

New Mexicans can be very proud of this high-tech submarine and the crew that take her to sea.  Viva NEW MEXICO!

Our Submarine Returns to Port at the End of an Exciting Day

The first sailors to qualify in submarines onboard USS NEW MEXICO are STS3 (SS) Michael Costa, STS3 (SS) Sam Howerton, TMFN (SS) Lee Jobes, and STS3 (SS) Luis PerezBanquez.

The Submarine Warfare Insignia (usually known as “dolphins” or “fish”) is a uniform breast pin worn by enlisted men and officers of the United States Navy to indicate that they are qualified in submarines. The Submarine Warfare Insignia is considered one of the Navy’s three major warfare pins along with the Surface Warfare Badge and the Naval Aviator Badge. To earn the right to wear the pin, prospective submariners complete an extensive qualification process that lasts about one year and covers virtually all of the submarine’s systems. The final step in the qualification process is for the sailor to demonstrate their knowledge in front of a board of qualified submariners.

Congratulations to SSN 779’s newest submariners!

STS3 (SS) Michael Costa

STS3 (SS) Sam Howerton

“Our” sub was completed on budget ($2.3B) and delivered four months ahead of contract schedule; that’s one month faster than NEW HAMPSHIRE and one year faster than NORTH CAROLINA. Sea trials went superbly with no repairs or alterations needed upon return to port. NEW MEXICO has definitely raised the bar for future VA-class submarines.

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The following release was released by Northrop Grumman 0n 29 Dec 2009.

Contact: Jennifer Dellapenta
(757) 380-3558
Jennifer.Dellapenta@ngc.com

Northrop Grumman Delivers New Mexico Submarine Ahead of Schedule in Record Time

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Dec. 29, 2009 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) delivered the sixth submarine of the Virginia class, New Mexico (SSN 779), to the U.S. Navy today, four months ahead of schedule. New Mexico’s 70-month construction period represents the shortest overall construction time of any Virginia-class submarine.

A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=6948

“New Mexico’s delivery is a reflection of the commitment, dedication and hard work of the shipbuilders at Newport News, our Electric Boat partners and the Navy,” said Becky Stewart, vice president for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding’s submarine program. “We delivered her in record time, using one million fewer man-hours than her predecessor USS North Carolina (SSN 777). Our shipbuilders are focused on meeting safety, quality, cost and schedule commitments. The progress we’ve made in the Virginia-class submarine program demonstrates their personal ownership in building the finest submarines in the world.”

The keel for New Mexico was authenticated April 12, 2008, and the ship was christened on Dec. 13, 2008. New Mexico, named for “The Land of Enchantment,” is the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, providing undersea supremacy well into the 21st century.

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding is teamed with General Dynamics Electric Boat to build the first 18 ships of the Virginia class. Current plans call for 30 Virginia-class submarines in the fleet. Using millions of parts from over 4,000 suppliers in 47 states and the District of Columbia, Virginia-class submarines incorporate dozens of new technologies and innovations and are the first major combatants designed with the post-Cold War security environment in mind. For more information about the New Mexico, please visit http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/vcs/.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial
customers worldwide.

You can also view the Press Release at:
http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=180930