USS Mississippi to be commissioned

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WALA) - The Navy’s newest Virginia-class submarine named the “Mississippi” is the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, according to the Navy.

“It has the ability to perform missions across a broad spectrum so we can do everything from precision strike, to intelligence gathering, to surface warfare,” said Executive Officer of the Mississippi Daniel Reiss.

The submarine will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and will operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged.

Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Mississippi (SSN 782) arrived in Pascagoula on May 25 and is set to be commissioned on Saturday, June 2 when the Navy accepts the vessel as a service ship.

“You get to really see and feel the sense of dedication and history the sailors live with everyday but don't get to express very often. We finally get to do that in this sort of ceremony,” Reiss said.

Once it leaves the Port of Pascagoula, the vessel won't need to dock until the crew needs food.

“We make our own water. We make our own energy. We clean the own air we breathe, and the only thing we can't do is grow food,” Reiss said.

PCU Mississippi is designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions.

SSN 782 is the fifth US Navy vessel to be named USS Mississippi. Its naming recognizes the state’s long-standing tradition of shipbuilding in support of our nation’s defense.

“The people down here have been very welcoming it's been wonderful to get into Pascagoula and to be able to enjoy the company of the folks from Mississippi,” Reiss said.

The name also honors the spirit of the people of Mississippi who have made great strides in recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.