NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Senior Navy leaders and shipbuilders gathered at HII-Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) for the keel authentication of the future Virginia-class attack submarine USS Barb (SSN 804), Dec. 9.
Keel laying authentication ceremonies signify a major construction milestone where the ship begins to transition from design to reality. The future USS Barb will be the 31st Virginia Class Submarine when commissioned.
“Barb represents the cutting edge of Navy warfighting and the best in American shipbuilding,” said Capt. Mike Hollenbach, Virginia-class program manager. “We’re excited to authenticate Barb’s ceremonial keel and ramp up the construction of another attack submarine to add to the Fleet.”
The ship’s sponsor, Ms. Pamela Bove, will have her initials etched onto a steel plate that will be installed on the submarine. The bond symbolizes the enduring relationship between the sponsor and the ship’s crew.
As the spouse of the late Rear Adm. Eugene Bennett “Lucky” Fluckey’s grandson, Ms. Bove is tied to the Barb legacy. Fluckey was commanding officer of the storied Barb (SS 220) in World War II. Under Fluckey’s watch, USS Barb became one of the most highly decorated submarines in U.S. naval history, most known for sinking a record number of enemy ships and for a particularly daring mission that destroyed enemy shipping lines. Fluckey received the Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” The ship earned four Presidential Unit Citations, a Navy Unit Commendation and eight Battle Stars for service in World War II and was decommissioned in 1954.
The second Navy ship named Barb (SSN 596) was a Permit-class submarine that took part in special operations in Vietnam and, during the Cold War, served as a test platform for the Tomahawk cruise missile. SSN 596 earned two battle stars for service in the Vietnam combat zone. The sponsor for this nuclear submarine was Marjorie Fluckey, the admiral’s wife.
Virginia-class submarines are the most advanced attack submarines in the world, with superior stealth, firepower and maneuverability than previous classes.
For more information about Virginia-class attack submarines visit:
https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169558/attack-submarines-ssn/