The USS Illinois (SSN-786), the Navy’s 13th Virginia-class attack submarine, has completed its first sea voyage, prime contractor General Dynamics [GD] Electric Boat announced Aug. 1.
During the alpha sea trials, which took place July 29 to 31 and ended at Electric Boat’s shipyard in Groton, Conn., the nuclear-powered submarine submerged for the first time and performed high-speed runs on and below the surface. The tests showed that the vessel’s propulsion plant is “fully mission-capable,” Electric Boat said.
“The crew and shipbuilders worked together seamlessly to take this submarine to sea and put it through its paces,” said Jeffrey Geiger, Electric Boat’s president.
More sea trials are planned before the submarine is delivered to the Navy by month’s end, according to a company spokesman.
Electric Boat and its construction teammate, Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII] Newport News Shipbuilding, have already delivered 12 Virginia-class submarines to the Navy. Fifteen more are under contract.
Virginia-class submarines can dive to a depth greater than 800 feet. They are armed with Mk 48 torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack missiles.