The US Navy’s Virginia Class nuclear attack submarine, Missouri (SSN-780) will be officially christened by General Dynamics Electric Boat on 5 December 2009.

Missouri is the seventh Virginia Class submarine and the fifth ship in the US Navy named in honour of the US state of Missouri.

The 114.9m-long and 10.3m-wide attack submarine has a submerged displacement of 7,800t and can accommodate a crew complement of 113 officers and men and cruise at a speed of 25kt.

The submarine is scheduled to begin sea trials in 2010, and will be commissioned in 2011.

General Dynamics Electric Boat, with its construction partner Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, will build a total of 18 Virginia Class ships for the US Navy.