The North Carolina

GROTON, Conn.--In 2007, at the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding yard in Newport News, Va.--where the first of the next-generation aircraft carrier class, the Gerald R. Ford, is currently under construction--the U.S. Navy rolled out the North Carolina, the fourth of the Virginia class of fast attack nuclear submarines.

Today, the North Carolina (SSN 777) is stationed at the New London Submarine Base here, commanded by Wes Schlauder. The Virginia is the first class of submarines to have true 21st century on-board communications, including a fiber optic Intranet, large digital screens placed throughout the ship that show what is being viewed through the periscope, and even a server room.

As part of Road Trip 2010, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman got a special, two-hour tour of the North Carolina (see here) from Schlauder.

Click here to read the related story on the Virginia class nuclear submarine, the North Carolina. And click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

July 19, 2010 4:00 AM PDT

Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET

| Caption by: Daniel Terdiman