On Friday, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the names of the next five Virginia-class attack submarines.
They will be named the USS Illinois, the USS Washington, the USS Colorado, the USS Indiana, and the USS South Dakota.
Mabus named the submarines to honor the great contributions and support these states have given the military through the years. None of the five states has had a ship named for it for more than 49 years.
The new submarines will have enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities, and special warfare enhancements that will enable them to meet the Navy’s multi-mission requirements. They will also have the capability to attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other sea-based forces.
