GD Mission Systems Role in Naval Traditions

It is a great honor to be invited to the U.S. Navy’s milestone celebrations for ships and submarines. These ceremonies are steeped in tradition and serve as a moving reminder of the valor and sacrifice within the armed forces. While the details may change over time, these events reinforce the bonds of camaraderie and respect within our military communities. General Dynamics Mission Systems' leadership team members are often invited to deliver remarks and present gifts at these very special occasions.

“One of the most memorable parts of working with the Navy is the great traditions they have around ships,” said Chris Montferret , vice president, Strategy and Business Development, for our Maritime & Strategic Systems (M&SS) line of business. “General Dynamics Mission Systems is invited to these events because we provide critical systems to these vessels; in the case of the surface ships, the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), we provide much of the computing infrastructure, weapons, effectors and other electronic systems on those platforms.”

“Similarly, in the case of a submarine, we provide significant warfighting capability on the Virginia and Columbia class submarines through General Dynamics Electric Boat and through the Navy in terms of combat and weapon systems, torpedoes and sonar capability,” Chris added.

Keel Laying

The keel laying is one of the first major milestones and marks the official start of construction for the ship. On Sept. 6, General Dynamics Mission Systems representatives joined Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro along with other Navy leaders and our partner Austal USA to mark the beginning of construction of the last Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF 16), the USNS Lansing in Mobile, Alabama.

The Lansing will be configured for enhanced medical functions with facilities for primary surgery intensive care, patient wards, X-ray, dental and laboratory applications. General Dynamics Mission Systems is part of the Austal shipbuilding team.

Mast Stepping

Another significant construction milestone is the mast stepping ceremony. This event celebrates the placement of the ship’s mast and is deeply rooted in traditions dating back centuries when the Romans placed coins under the mast for good luck.

“Gifts from the shipbuilding team and the sponsor symbolizing luck and historical significance are placed in a box welded under or near the mast,” explained Scott Beauchemin, vice president, Surface Systems, M&SS. “General Dynamics Mission Systems typically presents a boatswain whistle; this is a traditional nautical instrument that is both a symbol of office and an instrument used for conveying orders as far back as the 14th century.”

Other items including coins reflecting the ship’s hull numbers and photos of the sponsor and family, are placed in the box that will stay with the ship until it is decommissioned.

Christening

One of the largest and most celebrated milestones is the vessel’s christening. This is a momentous occasion because it marks the vessel’s official launch and start of its journey. During the ceremony the ship’s sponsor “christens” the vessel, typically breaking a bottle of champagne over the bow. The sponsor will maintain a relationship with the ship and her crew over its lifetime.

“The sponsor is the soul of the ship and at the Christening ceremony, she binds herself with the ship and puts protection over the crew,” Scott explained. “General Dynamics Mission Systems is invited as a strategic partner; our systems also bring the ship to life and allow the crew to complete their mission – whether it is protecting the US and our allies from aggression or peacekeeping and humanitarian aid.”

General Dynamics Mission Systems attended the christening of the 19th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship – the future USS Pierre (LCS-38) in May. Rear Adm. Thomas Anderson, the program executive officer, spoke to the shipbuilding team at the ceremony.

“I’m here to give you the credit you deserve for building exceptional ships like the future USS Pierre standing before us,” Anderson said. “…in my decades of Navy ship building experience, I have never been part of a harder working team or more committed team than when I was the LCS program manager, and there is no group in all of ship building that I would rather have been in the arena with.”

General Dynamics Mission Systems is the mission system integrator of the Independence-Class LCS and is responsible for 1,900 pieces of equipment, 20,000 connections and cable terminations, 220 computers, over 4 million lines of source code and miles of copper and fiber optic cabling.

“General Dynamics Mission Systems is honored to be a part of this great team and is responsible for the design, integration, activation, test and certification of the combat system, total ship network and mission systems,” Stan Kordana, vice president, program execution, M&SS, said at the ceremony. “I would like to thank the men and women of the military attending today and on station throughout the world; we are committed to providing you the most effective and capable systems as you selflessly protect our freedom.”

After its christening, the vessel must complete its sea trials, a rigorous series of tests to ensure it is capable and fit for duty, before it is accepted by the U.S. Navy in a commissioning ceremony.

Commissioning

“The commissioning ceremony is incredibly special because it marks the moment that the crew officially brings the Navy ship to life as a war ship,” Chris described. “Initially the ship is dark and when the crew is called onboard, they run onto the ship or submarine and turn the power on, then in the case of a ship the masts start spinning and all the lights come on.”

“It’s really remarkable because they literally wake the ship up as a Navy vessel and the captain reads command orders to report to duty, activate the crew, and put the ship into operational service,” Chris continued. “Then she becomes a member of the fleet that the president and the Navy leadership can deploy in service of the nation.”

On Sept. 14, General Dynamics Mission Systems attended the commissioning of the Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Jersey (SSN-796) in Middletown, New Jersey. “Today, we commissioned our ship, and she is the fastest, most advanced, fully integrated fast-attack to date,” said Cmdr. Steve Halle, USS New Jersey commanding officer.

General Dynamics Mission Systems presents gifts to the crew at events corresponding with the commissioning. Jason Aiken, General Dynamics executive vice president, Technologies, presented the crew of the USS New Jersey with a gift of $2,500 to the crew’s morale welfare and recreation fund and three personalized cribbage boards for the crew, chief petty officers’ quarters and the wardroom.

“As a major provider of combat, sonar and mission readiness systems, our work plays a major role in bringing the USS New Jersey to life,” Aiken said. “However, even with all the best technology available, the most important part of any ship is the crew, and the dedication of the USS New Jersey’s crew will truly bring her to life and is destined for great adventures.”

Finally, the vessels are decommissioned at the end of their service life. The length of service varies depending upon what kind of ship it is, for example strategic deterrent submarines like the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN 826) that conducted a keel laying ceremony in June 2022, hasn’t yet been christened, but once commissioned, it is expected to serve until 2084.

The U.S. Navy recognizes these milestones to celebrate the incredible achievement of the sailors who will operate these vessels along with all the shipbuilders, designers, engineers and contractors whose collective effort brought new capabilities to further bolster our national security interests while maintaining peace and prosperity through deterrence.