USS John Warner (SSN-785)

USS JOHN WARNER (SSN-785) will be a Virginia-class submarine. She will be the first in the class to be named after a person; the previous 11 were named after states. John Warner was originally to be built by the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut. Recent announcement by Huntington Ingalls Industries- Newport News Shipbuilding anticipates keel laying in 2013 in Newport News, Virginia and delivery scheduled in 2015. This ship is the second of the Block III subs, which will have a revised bow and some technology from cruise missile submarines.

Her name was announced on January 8, 2009, five days after John Warner, a Republican from Virginia, retired after serving 30 years as a United States Senator. John Warner is one of a few U.S. Navy vessels to be named for a living person and only the sixth American nuclear-powered submarine with this distinction. The previous five are USS George Washington (SSBN-598), USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709), a Los Angeles-class submarine, USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730), an Ohio-class submarine, USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), a Seawolf-class submarine and the USS Glenard P.Libscomb (SSN-685), a unique class of submarine.

Construction began on April 29, 2009 with the keel laying ceremony being held on March 16, 2013. In March 2013, the submarine was reportedly about 59% complete.

The ships sponsor is Sen. Warner's own wife Jeanne Warner.

Command staff
The following is the current command staff.


 * Commanding Officer: CDR Dan Caldwell
 * Executive Officer: LCDR Douglas Dreese
 * Chief of the Boat: CSCS (SS) Oscar Veneszee
 * Engineer: LCDR Aaron Coudray
 * Engineering Department Master Chief: MMCM (SS) Jimmy Hall
 * Navigator: LCDR Brian Souder

Command Officers


 * LT Mike Dahlgren
 * LT Chris Roche
 * LT Ben Dorsch
 * LTJG Marshall Osbey

Command Chief Petty Officers


 * Medical Department Representative: HMCS (SS/SW/AW/EXW) Larry Flint
 * 3M Coordinator: MMCS (SS) Bill Jenkins
 * Assistant Navigator: ETC (SS/IDW) Mark Eichenlaub
 * Leading Yeoman: YNC (SS) Brian Smith
 * Reactor Controls: ETCS (SS) Jimmy Baxter
 * Machinery: MMC (SS) Jeff Steuben
 * Electrical: EMC (SS) Dave Speer
 * Communications: ETC (SS) Amikilar "Mike" Ortiz
 * Navigation: ETC (SS) Jake Adams
 * Network: ITSC (SS) Brian Beach
 * Sonar: STSC (SS) Tom Stone
 * Fire Control: FTC (SS) Adam Sassi
 * Torpedo: MMC (SS) Mike Torres
 * Supply: LSC (SS) Brett Adams
 * Culinary: CSC (SS) Jason Smith

Specifications

 * Builders: GD Electric Boat and HII Newport News
 * Length: 377 ft
 * Beam: 34 ft
 * Displacement: 7800 LT
 * Payload: 40 weapons, special operations forces, unmanned undersea vehicles, Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS)
 * Propulsion: The S9G nuclear reactor, 29.8 MW delivering 40,000 shaft horse power. Nuclear core life estimated at 33 years.