page_title: USS North Carolina (SSN-777)
hierarchical_section_title: USS North Carolina (SSN-777)
caption_attribution_description: 080503-N-8655E-002 WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 3, 2008) Sailors "man the ship" and officially bring the newest Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) to life during her commissioning ceremony. North Carolina is the fourth Virginia-class submarine to be commissioned and the first major U.S. Navy combatant vessel class designed with the post-Cold War security environment in mind. North Carolina will be homeported in Groton, Conn., as a member of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. U.S. Navy photo By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelvin Edwards (Released)
context_page_description: USS North Carolina (SSN-777), a Virginia-class attack submarine, is the fourth ship of the United States Navy named for the 12th U.S. state.
  The contract to build her was awarded to Northrop Grumman Newport News on 30 September 1998 and her keel was laid down on 24 May 2004. She was launched on 5 May 2007. North Carolina was commissioned on 3 May 2008 in Wilmington, North Carolina.
  This class of submarine is unique in that it features a Photonics Mast Program that freed ship designers to place the boat's control room in a lower, less geometrically-constrained space than would be required by a standard, optical tube periscope. It is additionally unique in the U.S. Navy for featuring all-digital ship and ballast control systems that are manned by relatively senior watchstanders and a pressure chamber to deploy SEAL divers while being submerged. It is capable of diverse missions, including conventional submarine warfare, strike warfare, mining operations, and delivery of special operations personnel and equipment.
context_section_description: USS North Carolina (SSN-777), a Virginia-class attack submarine, is the fourth ship of the United States Navy named for the 12th U.S. state.
  The contract to build her was awarded to Northrop Grumman Newport News on 30 September 1998 and her keel was laid down on 24 May 2004. She was launched on 5 May 2007. North Carolina was commissioned on 3 May 2008 in Wilmington, North Carolina.
  This class of submarine is unique in that it features a Photonics Mast Program (PMP) that freed ship designers to place the boat's control room in a lower, less geometrically-constrained space than would be required by a standard, optical tube periscope. It is additionally unique in the U.S. Navy for featuring all-digital ship and ballast control systems that are manned by relatively senior watchstanders and a pressure chamber to deploy SEAL divers while being submerged. It is capable of diverse missions, including conventional submarine warfare, strike warfare, mining operations, and delivery of special operations personnel and equipment.
caption: USS North Carolina (SSN-777) during her commissioning ceremony in 2008.
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