A keel

Virginia-class submarines, built by assembling giant, generally tube-shaped modules, don't really have keels — but the traditional keel-laying ceremony that once marked the start of construction for a ship still has a lot of meaning.

So although construction of the submarine Massachusetts is well underway — it is about half-done already — Friday's keel-laying ceremony was a big deal.

"It's really the first time shipbuilders, the sponsor and the crew can come together," said Bob Meyer, Newport News Shipbuilding's Virginia-class submarines program director.

The ceremony involves tracing an enlarged version of submarine sponsor Sheryl K. Sandberg's signature onto a steel plate with a welding torch.

Ronnie Payne, a 43-year shipyard veteran, did the honors — he's worked on every single Virginia-class sub, after getting his start as a welder on Los Angeles-class subs. As sponsor, Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, will eventually do the honors at christening, cracking a bottle of champagne on what will be the nearly completed Massachusetts’ bow to officially name it.

For the 80 crew members already in Hampton Roads, out of the eventual total of 137, the keel laying marks the real start of their work, said the submarine's captain, Cmdr. Erik Lundberg.

Over the next two years before the Massachusetts is actually delivered, the crew's work is going to involve training, testing and drilling.

Now, with the keel laying done, "We’re getting started with that, learning about the equipment, about testing it and using it, learning about the shipyard and the way it works," Lundberg said.

During construction of submarines and carriers at Newport News, sailors and shipbuilders regularly work side by side, and do so ever more closely as the day for delivery approaches.

The Massachusetts will be the 25th Virginia-class submarine, and the 12th delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding, when the shipyard turns it over to the Navy in 2023.

The shipyard and General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Connecticut team up to build the subs, although the start of the two yards’ team effort to build the new Columbia-class ballistic missile subs means a larger share of the Virginia-class work has moved to Newport News.

Some 4,000 shipbuilders will work on the Massachusetts. Construction started in March 2017. The yard works on several Virginia-class subs at a time, with the Montana set to be floated off in the next few weeks and the New Jersey slated for delivery in 2022.

Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, [email protected]

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