USS North Dakota (SSN-784)

For other ships with the same name, see USS North Dakota.

USS North Dakota (SSN-784)
North Dakota during trials in August 2014
History
United States
NameUSS North Dakota
NamesakeThe U.S. state of North Dakota
Awarded14 August 2003
BuilderGeneral Dynamics Electric Boat
Laid down11 May 2012
Launched15 September 2013
Sponsored byKatie Fowler
Christened2 November 2013
Commissioned25 October 2014
HomeportNaval Submarine Base New London
MottoStrength from the Soil, Reapers of the Deep
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeVirginia-class submarine
Displacement7800 tons light, 7800 tons full
Length114.9 m (377 ft)
Beam10.3 m (34 ft)
Propulsion
  • 1 × S9G PWR nuclear reactor[1] 280,000 shp (210 MW), HEU 93%[2][3]
  • 2 × steam turbines 40,000 shp (30 MW)
  • 1 × single shaft pump-jet propulsor[1]
  • 1 × secondary propulsion motor[1]
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[4]
RangeEssentially unlimited distance; 33 years
Test depthgreater than 800 ft (240 m)[5]
Complement134 officers and men[4]

USS North Dakota (SSN-784) is a Virginia-class nuclear powered attack submarine of the United States Navy. She is the second U.S. Navy vessel to be named for the U.S. state of North Dakota, the first being World War I-era battleship USS North Dakota (BB-29). The contract to build her was awarded to Electric Boat division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut, on 14 August 2003. Her name was announced on 15 July 2008.[6] and her keel was laid down on 11 May 2012.[7] She was floated on 15 September 2013 and was christened on 2 November 2013, sponsored by Katie Fowler, wife of Vice Admiral Jeff Fowler.[8] She was commissioned in Groton, Connecticut, on 25 October 2014.

North Dakota is the first of eight Virginia-class Block III boats. Approximately 20 percent of North Dakota was redesigned to lower acquisition cost and increase operational flexibility. The changes include a boat's bow redesign, replacing 12 individual launch tubes with two large-diameter Virginia Payload Tubes, each capable of launching six UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles.[9]

  1. ^ 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
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ a b "The US Navy – Fact File". Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  5. ^ "SSN-774 Virginia-class". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Navy Names Two Virginia-Class Submarines" (Press release). United States Department of Defense. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  7. ^ "Заложен киль одиннадцатой подводной лодки типа Virginia для ВМС США" [The keel is laid eleventh Virginia-class submarines for the United States Navy]. Flot Prom (in Russian). 14 May 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  8. ^ Cavas, Christopher (3 October 2013). "New Ship News – Sub launched, Carrier prepped, LCS delivered". Defense News. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Virginia Block III: The Revised Bow". Defense Industry Daily. 21 December 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2008.