The keel authentication ceremony was held for SSN 803, the future USS Arizona, on December 7th. Ship Sponsor Nikki Stratton is the granddaughter of Donald Stratton, who served aboard USS Arizona (BB-39). He was seriously burned when the ship exploded but after recovering from his burns, he rejoined the Navy in 1944 and served for the remainder of the war, including naval support for the Battle of Okinawa. He died in 2020.
SSN 803 will likely not be launched for another three years and not commissioned until four years from now.
SSN 802, the future USS Oklahoma, will likely have its keel authentication ceremony in the near future.
The two boats are the first two boats of Block V of the Virginia-class. Block V will include the Virginia Payload Module.
