General Dynamics to Christen New Sub

General Dynamics Electric Boat will christen (SSN-778), the U.S. Navy's newest and most advanced nuclear attack submarine, at a ceremony at its shipyard on Saturday, June 21.

Cheryl McGuinness of , is the ship's sponsor. McGuinness lost her husband, Tom McGuinness, on September 11, 2001, in the attacks. He was the co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, which was flown into the north tower of the .

The event's principal speaker is Adm. Kirkland H. Donald, director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion. Cmdr. Michael J. Stevens, a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is the ship's commanding officer.

The is the fifth ship of the class, the first U.S. Navy combatants designed for the post-Cold War era. Unobtrusive, non-provocative and connected with land, air, sea and space-based assets, New Hampshire and the other Virginia-class submarines are equipped to wage multi-dimensional warfare around the globe, providing the U.S. Navy with continued dominance in coastal waters or the open ocean.

A live video and audio webcast of the christening will be accessible online at: http://www.gdeb.com. Webcast coverage will begin Saturday at 10:30 a.m. EDT; the ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude at approximately 12:15 p.m. The program will be available for on-demand replay for one week, beginning at approximately 2:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday.