US Navy officially commissioned USS Oregon, 2nd submarine of Block IV Virginia class, on a Saturday, Naval Submarine Base New London.
This marked the US Navy’s first in-person commission ceremony since 2019, due to the pandemic. USS Oregon (SSN 793) can dive upto depth of 800 feet (240 meters) and its armaments includes
- 12 x VLS tubes for BGM-109 Tomahawk
- 4 x 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes for Mk-48 torpedoes
USS Oregon is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam and is able to operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots. She has a crew of nearly 140 Navy personnel.
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The USS Oregon is the second Block IV Virginia-class submarine to enter service. The USS Navy said in a press release that the submarine is designed to conduct anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, delivery of special operations forces, strike warfare, irregular warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and mine warfare.
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“Oregon and the other Virginia-class submarines will not only sustain, but exploit our edge in undersea warfare,” said Adm. Frank Caldwell, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, at the Saturday ceremony.
Umair Aslam is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Defense Insight. He has worked as a defense journalist reporting on military modernization programs, nuclear non-proliferation, arms control, and the South Asian Arms race.
