USS New Mexico (SSN-779)

For other ships with the same name, see USS New Mexico.

The commissioning of New Mexico on 13 December 2008.
History
United States
NameUSS New Mexico
NamesakeThe State of New Mexico
Ordered14 August 2003
BuilderNewport News Shipbuilding
Laid down12 April 2008
Christened13 December 2008
Launched18 January 2009[1]
Commissioned27 March 2010[2]
HomeportNorfolk, Virginia
MottoDefendemos nuestra tierra (Spanish: "We defend our land")[3][4]
StatusIn active service with Submarine Squadron 6
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeVirginia-class submarine
Displacement7,900 tonnes (7,800 long tons)
Length377 ft (115 m)
Beam34 ft (10 m)
Propulsion
  • 1 × S9G PWR nuclear reactor[5] 280,000 shp (210 MW), HEU 93%[6][7]
  • 2 × steam turbines 40,000 shp (30 MW)
  • 1 × single shaft pump-jet propulsor[5]
  • 1 × secondary propulsion motor[5]
Speed25 knots (46 km/h)+
RangeEssentially unlimited distance; 33 years
Complement130
Armament12 × VLS (BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile) 4 × 533mm torpedo tubes (Mk-48 ADCAP torpedo)

USS New Mexico (SSN-779) is a Virginia-class nuclear powered fast-attack submarine of the United States Navy. She is the second U.S. warship named for the 47th state, after the early twentieth century super-dreadnought, USS New Mexico (BB-40).

New Mexico is the sixth vessel of her class, which is intended to replace the older Los Angeles-class.[8] She represents the most advanced submarine model in the U.S. Navy, incorporating the latest technologies in stealth, propulsion, intelligence gathering, and weaponry. New Mexico is designed to carry out a wide variety of blue water and littoral operations, including anti-ship warfare, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Commissioned in March 2010, New Mexico has undertaken several naval exercises and deployments. In March 2014, New Mexico became the first Virginia-class submarine to surface at the North Pole. Her homeport is Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.[9]

  1. ^ Frost, Peter, "Submarine New Mexico Launched", Daily Press, 23 January 2009.
  2. ^ "USS New Mexico (SSN-779) | Website of Submarine USS New Mexico". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
  3. ^ Ceremony of commissioning of USS New Mexico (SSN-779)
  4. ^ The ship's commissioning ceremony
  5. ^ a b c Ragheb, Magdi (9 September 2011), Tsvetkov, Pavel (ed.), "Nuclear Naval Propulsion", Nuclear Power - Deployment, Operation and Sustainability, ISBN 978-953-307-474-0
  6. ^ "Validation of the Use of Low Enriched Uranium as a Replacement for Highly Enriched Uranium in US Submarine Reactors" (PDF). dspace.mit.edu. June 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  7. ^ "US study of reactor and fuel types to enable naval reactors to shift from HEU fuel". fissilematerials.org. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  8. ^ "USS New Mexico (SSN 779)". www.sublant.usff.navy.mil. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  9. ^ Adams, Kathy, and Lauren King, "Navy Brings New $2.3 Billion Submarine To Life in Norfolk", Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 28 March 2010.