Given the question: Information: - The Isles of Shoals are a group of small islands and tidal ledges situated approximately off the east coast of the United States, straddling the border of the states of Maine and New Hampshire. - Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals. The town is a tourist destination known for its many outlet stores. - The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS), often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. PNS is tasked with the overhaul, repair, and modernization of US Navy submarines. The facility is sometimes confused with the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. - USS Pike ( SS -- 173 ) was laid down on 20 December 1933 by Portsmouth Navy Yard , in Kittery , Maine ; launched on 12 September 1935 ; sponsored by Miss Jane Logan Snyder ; and commissioned on 2 December 1935 , Lieutenant Heber H. '' Tex '' McLean in command . Pike was the first all - welded submarine . The welded hull allowed Pike to submerge to much greater depths than her predecessors and at the same time provided greater protection against depth - charge attacks . See the link '' The Saga of the Submarine '' below . - Maine is the northernmost state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Maine is the 39th most extensive and the 41st most populous of the U.S. states and territories. It is bordered by New Hampshire to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the north. Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States, and the northernmost east of the Great Lakes. It is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior, and picturesque waterways; and also its seafood cuisine, especially clams and lobster. There is a continental climate throughout the state, even in coastal areas such as its most populous city of Portland. The capital is Augusta. After reading the paragraphs above, we are interested in knowing the entity with which 'uss pike ' exhibits the relationship of 'operator'. Find the answer from the choices below. Choices: - east coast - portland - united states navy
The answer is:
united states navy