Super sub has roots in Bayview

Acoustic technology on the future ‘USS IDAHO’ was developed at the Navy research facility in Bayview

A keel-laying ceremony for the USS Idaho, the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced nuclear attack submarine, is set for Monday at its shipyard in Quonset Point, R.I.

The submarine is the 26th ship of the Virginia Class and the fifth Navy Ship to bear the name of Idaho. “There is a strong tradition of honor and service in the state of Idaho, and it makes me proud this naval ship will bear that name,” Gov. Brad Little said.

Former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne will represent the USS IDAHO Commissioning Committee as the chairman of its advisory board and the state of Idaho.

“This is a unique opportunity to have a ship of the line named in honor of the great state of Idaho,” he said.

The last ship commissioned as the USS IDAHO was over a hundred years ago in 1919. The USS IDAHO BB42 saw service in World War II and played a key role in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

“Idaho has a rich naval history that spans the entire state from Camp Farragut in Northern Idaho to Naval Reactors Facility at the Idaho National Lab,” the release said.

Much of the acoustic technology on the future USS IDAHO was developed on Lake Pend Oreille at the Navy Research Facility in Bayview.

Its “adaptability will make it highly responsive to evolving mission requirements,” a press release said.

The vision of the Commissioning Committee is to bring together the people of Idaho and the officers and crew of the IDAHO to create a bond that will last throughout the life of the ship and beyond.

“We want to honor the men and women that have served our nation and the state of Idaho and the men and women that will serve on the USS IDAHO and the families that will support them,” Kempthorne said.