The names of four future US Navy nuclear-powered submarines were announced by US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro on Monday, January 13.
The new names have been assigned to a Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) and three Virginia-class attack submarines (SSNs).
The Columbia-class SSBN will be named USS Groton after the Connecticut town where the US Navy's Submarine Force Headquarters is located. The Virginia-class SSNs will meanwhile be named USS Potomac, USS Norfolk, and USS Brooklyn.
Groton is the third boat in a class of SSBNs that will be the largest submarines ever built in the United States. The completed boat will have a length of 560 feet (170 metres) and a displacement of 20,810 tons (18,878 tonnes) while armament will include 16 ballistic missiles and improved Mk 48 torpedoes.
Like their Virginia-class sisters, Potomac, Norfolk and Brooklyn will be capable of supporting multiple mission areas and can operate at speeds of more than 25 knots for months at a time.
The Virginia-class submarines are designed to carry out core missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, delivery of special operations forces, strike warfare, irregular warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and mine warfare.