The U.S. Navy has plans to name the next two Virginia-class submarines after states Oklahoma and Arizona, names once carried by World War II U.S. battleships.
The service branch said Monday its naming decision for SSN-802 and SSN-803, respectively, honors the servicemen who had served and sacrificed their lives in the BB-37 and BB-39 vessels.
“I am honored and humbled to name the next two Virginia-class nuclear fast-attack submarines to be built as the USS Oklahoma (SSN-802) and the USS Arizona (SSN-803),” said Thomas Modly, acting secretary of the Navy.
Modly added he wishes for Arizonians and Oklahomans to support the commemoration of the battleships’ sailors who lost their lives in Pearl Harbor almost eight decades ago.
Virginia-class vessels bring surveillance, stealth and special features that address the Navy’s requirements across a variety of mission types.
