Huntington Ingalls (HII) christened the fast-attack Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800) on Dec. 7 at Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va. Arkansas is the 27th Virginia-class submarine, and the 13th built and delivered by Newport News.
The submarine’s sponsors are six members of the Little Rock Nine, the group of African American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957.
Carlotta Walls LaNier, one of the sponsors, christened the submarine by breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine across its bow. “Your craftsmanship, your attention to detail, and your support for each other in the workplace made today a reality,” LaNier said, acknowledging the contributions of the shipbuilders.
Newport News Shipbuilding is one of two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy.
