USS Montana: Taking the Big Sky under the sea (Kalispell Daily Inter Lake – July 19, 2017)
The commissioning committee for the nuclear attack submarine, the USS Montana, is looking for ways to bring a Big Sky feel to the underwater vessel. Once complete, the USS Montana will be the first submarine to bear the state’s name and will join more than 10 other vessels in the Navy’s Virginia class.
Virginia class subs are the most advanced in the Navy, with Tomahawk missile systems and increased capabilities for stealth and shallow-water navigation. Construction of the USS Montana began in May of 2015 and is scheduled to finish in 2020.
The USS Montana Committee’s role is to educate Montanans about their namesake vessel, support the sub’s crew, and raise funds for the commissioning ceremony, which celebrates the sub’s formal introduction to the rest of the fleet.
Committee members and interested parties convened at Glacier Bank in Kalispell to learn more about the submarine and others in the class from naval captain Gene Doyle, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Pacific submarine fleet.