US Navy to name new combat ship after Twin Cities

“One of the iconic ships ever in the U.S. Navy was the USS Iowa, the battleship during World War II, that had such a stories career and now is a museum ship”.

“A ship’s naming is the first milestone in bringing it to life, and here continues the long tradition of strong connection between the people of Iowa and our Navy”. One in every 10 Montanans is a veteran.

“And everywhere it goes, it will take the name Montana”, said Mabus. “That comes with a few downsides, there are way more requests and suggestions, than there are ships”.

An anesthesiologist testifying on behalf of Montana’s two death row inmates says one of the drugs used to execute state prisoners by lethal injection does not meet the standard set by lawmakers.

AMES, Iowa-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus came to Ames to join Governor Branstad, and Iowa State President Steven Leath in announcing the Navy’s newest submarine would be named the USS Iowa.

The original USS Iowa (BB-4) was a battleship during the Spanish-American War, which afterwards was renamed and sunk in 1923.

USS Billings and USS Montana are expected to spend 30 to 40 years in the fleet. They are also capable of attacking targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conducting covert, long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other sea-based forces. The department says the fast ships are used in mine, anti-submarine and surface warfare.

Virginia-class attack submarines provide the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation’s undersea supremacy well into the 21st century.

The new USS Iowa submarine will be 377 feet long and 34-feet at its widest point, and will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged.

The submarine will be built under a unique teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division wherein both companies build certain portions of each submarine and then alternate deliveries.

A potential new species of dinosaur excavated in central Montana is now in Billings.