louisiana2000

Unlike its predecessors, the fourth LOUISIANA is an Ohio-class submarine.The USS LOUISIANA (SSBN-743) was awarded construction in December 1990 and launched in July 1996 at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay at Kings Bay, Georgia (which upped the complement of ballistic missile submarines to a total of 10 at Kings Bay).Significantly, the four stars on the submarine’s bow indicate that she is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name.She was built by General Dynamics Electric Boat Division out of Groton, Connecticut and has a one nuclear reactor propulsion system.She is 560 feet long with a beam of 42 feet, a draft of 36.5 feet, and a speed of 20 knots.She currently houses 17 officers, 15 Chief Petty Officers and 122 Enlisted (two crews).Interestingly, the USS LOUISIANA is the fourth U.S. Naval vessel to be named in honor of the eighteenth state admitted into the union, and is the eighteenth and last Trident Submarine to be commissioned.She is currently stationed in Bangor, Washington on Kitsap Naval Base.