New Mexico submarine is the toast of the shipyard

NEWPORT NEWS

For a few hours this morning, the welders, pipefitters, electricians and other shipbuilders constructing the attack submarine New Mexico will take a break from work.

Navy brass will take the place of workers in hard hats and jeans. There will be sparkling wine instead of paint.

The Navy is christening the New Mexico, the sixth submarine in the Virginia class, this morning at the Northrop Grumman Corp. shipyard in Newport News. Sailors, shipbuilders and government representatives will take part in the ceremony, which marks a major milestone on the sub's journey to completion.

"We're on this boat every day, seven days a week," said Kelly Nutter, construction director for Northrop Grumman's Virginia-class submarine program. "And to see it ready for christening is amazing."

The 7,800-ton, 377-foot long submarine will cost the Navy more than $2 billion.

We're "preparing for the future of the Navy," said Petty Officer 1st Class Kyle Decker, a New Mexico native and machinist stationed on the sub. "It's a really unique experience and it allows you to feel like you're weaving the blanket of freedom one step at a time."

When completed and delivered in August, the New Mexico will be the most technologically advanced sub in the Navy, offering special forces delivery, advanced sonar capabilities and mine detection and reconnaissance, said Becky Stewart, vice president of the company's sub program.

Construction began in March 2004 and is now 85 percent complete, she said.

"When you stand back and look at this boat now, you think about all the people who have been involved," said Stewart, looking up at the giant, cigar-shaped hull. "It's a pretty phenomenal process."

Northrop Grumman is on track to deliver the sub eight months ahead of schedule and on budget, she said. That's a big improvement on the last two subs built at the shipyard; the North Carolina was about seven weeks late and the Texas was a year behind.

The shipyard used 12 percent fewer labor hours than for the North Carolina, which it delivered in February, Stewart said. The process, from procuring building materials to delivering the ship to the Navy, is contracted to take 84 months, she said. It takes 1,200 employees working around the clock to make it happen, she said.

The work is long and sometimes tedious, but rewarding, several shipbuilders said.

"It's a sense of pride," said Philip McCoy Sr., who works in the shipyard's surface preparation and treatment department. "You know that you're giving the Navy, which is our defense, something that's used to protect the world, protect the United States, and keep us out of harm's way. It's something that keeps us free." Even a small mistake can be costly, McCoy said.

There haven't been any major problems or setbacks, Stewart said.

Last December, the Navy reported finding suspect piping welds on the New Mexico, New Hampshire, Virginia and Texas. Shipyard officials said they addressed that problem.

In mid-September, a sheet metal worker suffered serious injuries after falling while working on the sub. He remained in serious condition for several weeks at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News before being released, said hospital spokesman Peter Glacola.

Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics Electric Boat are building the first 10 Virginia-class subs together. The partnership marked a renaissance for Northrop Grumman's sub-building program, which hadn't produced anything since 1996 before it started work on the Texas in 2002.

"The Virginia class allowed us to reestablish ourselves in the business," said Mike Petters, president of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. "It's excellent for our shipbuilders to be a part of this."

For the ship's commander, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leave his fingerprint on a sub that will serve the Navy for at least the next 30 years. Cmdr. Mark Prokopius is making sure that pieces of New Mexico culture are integrated into the boat's living spaces.

The curtains that cover the sailors' bunks will have an Aztec pattern, he said. The crew voted to name the ship's galley La Posta after a restaurant in Mesilla, N.M. Some of the sub's cooks even traveled there to learn how to prepare traditional dishes, he said.

Beyond the decor, Prokopius is training the crew, which will eventually total about 134 sailors, for sea trials in July.

"I'm extremely excited to be able to take this, the most technologically advanced submarine, to sea for the first time with a crew I have trained to complete the mission," he said. "It's exciting and it's humbling."

This morning's christening will include remarks by U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico, the presidents of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat, and Navy admirals.

This afternoon, once the speeches and celebrating are finished, the shipbuilders will get back to work.

Kathy Adams, (757) 446-2583, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com