The U.S. Navy is set to commission the newest Virginia-class submarine during a ceremony this Saturday in Groton, Conn. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., will be administering the principal address of the future USS South Dakota‘s commissioning ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London, the service branch said Wednesday.
Deanie Dempsey, wife of Gen. Martin Dempsey who served as the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s 18th chairman, will order the submarine’s activation as ship sponsor. The submarine, also known as the SSN 790, will be the third ship to hold South Dakota’s name, following an armored cruiser and a battleship. As a Block III Virginia-class unit, the new South Dakota features technologies geared to support a variety of operation types including littoral, deep sea, anti-surface ship, anti-submarine and anti-mine warfare.
General Dynamics‘ Electric Boat subsidiary delivered SSN 790 to the Navy in September 2018.
