Arizona (SSN-803), a Block V, will be the fourth United States Navy vessel named for the state of Arizona, and the first vessel to carry the name since the loss of the during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, which pulled the US into World War II. Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced the name on 24 December 2019, in a press release.[1] Arizona was authorized for construction on 2 December 2019.[2] Arizona will be the second Block V boat, and the first boat to feature the Virginia Payload Module.[3]
The keel laying ceremony took place 7 December 2022 at the Quonset Point Facility of General Dynamics Electric Boat in North Kingston, RI. The sponsor for Arizona is Nikki Stratton, the granddaughter of Donald Stratton, a Seaman First Class aboard the battleship USS Arizona who survived the attack. He died in February 2020 at the age of 97.
Compared to Blocks I-IV of Virginia-class submarines, Block V vessels will incorporate previously introduced modifications to the base design in addition to a Virginia Payload Module (VPM). The VPM inserts a segment into the boat's hull which adds four vertical launch tubes. Each tube allows for the carrying of seven Tomahawk strike missiles, increasing her armament to a total of 40 missiles.[4]