Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has achieved a major construction milestone on the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine Oklahoma (SSN 802), marking an important step in the vessel’s path toward delivery to the U.S. Navy.
According to HII, the submarine is now “pressure hull complete,” meaning all major hull sections have been fully joined to form a single, watertight structure. This milestone represents a critical phase in submarine construction, as it allows work to progress on systems integration, outfitting, and final assembly.
Oklahoma is the 29th Virginia-class submarine overall and holds several distinctions within the program. It is the first submarine of the Block V configuration and the 14th Virginia-class boat to be delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding. Block V submarines are designed with enhanced capabilities that significantly improve operational effectiveness, including increased firepower, maneuverability, and stealth.
The ship’s sponsor is Mary “Molly” Slavonic, an Oklahoma native with a long-standing commitment to supporting both the state of Oklahoma and the U.S. Navy. Slavonic worked alongside her husband, former Acting Under Secretary of the Navy Greg Slavonic, to help establish the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The memorial honors the 429 sailors and Marines who lost their lives aboard the battleship during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.
Newport News Shipbuilding is the nation’s sole designer, builder, and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two shipyards capable of designing and constructing nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy. The Virginia-class program remains a cornerstone of the Navy’s undersea warfare strategy, providing advanced platforms capable of performing a wide range of missions, from intelligence gathering and surveillance to strike operations and special forces support.
Completion of the pressure hull milestone underscores continued progress on the Oklahoma and reflects the broader momentum of the Virginia-class submarine program as the Navy works to modernize and expand its undersea fleet to meet evolving global security demands.
Originally reported by Marine Link.
