NASSCO Launches the USNS Soderman, the Final Ship for the Strategic Sealift Fleet
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has joined with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army to launch the USNS Soderman (T-AKR 317), the eighth and final Strategic Sealift ship to be built for the Navy by NASSCO.
At a length of 950 feet and with a beam of 105 feet, the strategic sealift ships are the largest ships ever launched down a sliding ways in the United States and the largest ships that can fit through the Panama Canal. The nighttime launch of the Soderman took place at 9:20 p.m., as the ship was released from its inclined building ways into San Diego Bay, accompanied by a cheering crowd of NASSCO employees and spectators and a fireworks display.
All of the ships in the Strategic Sealift program are designed to carry military equipment for the Army. The ships built by NASSCO have been named after U.S. Army Medal of Honor winners. The USNS Soderman was named for Private First Class William A. Soderman, a World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Belgium in 1944. PFC Soderman’s widow, Mrs. Virginia Soderman, broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne over the ship’s bow to christen the ship. Mrs. Kristina Carlson Fletcher, a niece of PFC Soderman, was the Matron of Honor at the ceremony.
The principal speaker at the launch was San Diego Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Ca), a member of the Defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, who has been an active proponent of the strategic sealift program as part of his commitment to a strong national defense. Congressman Cunningham is serving in his sixth term in the House of Representatives.
Other speakers at the launch included General John Handy, U.S. Air Force, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Transportation Command; Rear Admiral David Brewer III, U.S. Navy, Commander, Military Sealift Command; Rear Admiral Dennis Morral, U.S. Navy Program Executive Officer for Expeditionary Warfare Programs; Major General Michael Gaw, Commander, 377th Theater Support Command, representing the U.S. Army; and Richard H. Vortmann, president of NASSCO.
"The employees of NASSCO are extremely proud to launch the last ship in the Strategic Sealift program, which included three conversions and eight newbuildings at NASSCO from 1993 to 2002," Vortmann said. "This has been a highly successful shipbuilding program for our armed forces and the company, making a major contribution to our nation’s readiness by adding much-needed prepositioning and strategic sealift capability. All of the new construction ships will be delivered ahead of their contract delivery dates and below target price"
The strategic sealift ships are large, medium-speed, roll-on, roll-off ships (LMSRs) with more than 390,000 square feet of cargo carrying space. The NASSCO-built LMSRs are assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command and carry prepositioned U.S. Army tanks, armored personnel carriers, tractor-trailers, and other combat equipment and supplies to potential areas of conflict around the world. More information about NASSCO can be found on the World Wide Web at www.nassco.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 52,000 people worldwide and had 2001 revenues of $12 billion. The company has leading market positions in land and amphibious combat systems, mission-critical information systems and technologies, shipbuilding and marine systems, and business aviation.
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Any "forward-looking statements" contained in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
General Dynamics Corporation (ticker: GD, exchange: NYSE)
News Release - Friday, April 26, 2002
Press Contact: (619) 544-7708
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