FASTER, PLEASE: US Christens 2 Virginia-Class Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines.

The future USS Delaware is the 18th Virginia-class SSN and the ninth to be delivered by Newport News. Construction of the new sub began in September 2013 and is 93 percent complete. It is expected to be delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2019.

The weekend also saw the christening of a second Virginia-class SSN, the future USS Vermont (SSN-792), during a ceremony held at General Dynamics Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Connecticut, on October 20. The boat’s sponsor is Gloria Valdez, the former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for naval shipbuilding. Construction of the Vermont began in May 2014. The new SSN is also slated for delivery in 2019.

The Navy is currently considering cancelling the final Block 7 tranche of Virginia boats and replacing them with a new class of much larger, Seawolf-type fast-attack subs.