US unveils a submarine made for both women and men

Gender equality reaches the US Navy with the introduction of a ship with spaces for women

The US Navy launched a new submarine last week, the first ship in its fleet to fully integrate male and female sailors.

The USS New Jersey is a Virginia-class fast attack submarine with a crew of 135 Navy sailors^[1].

The ship was launched in a ceremony at Earle Naval Port in Middletown, New Jersey.

"You operate the most sophisticated platform on the planet and continually strive for excellence," the New Jersey Commodore said during the ceremony. Steve Halle, addressing the submarine crew. - I am amazed and delighted at what we have achieved."

"Our exceptional professionalism is enhanced by the inclusiveness and diversity of our crew," continue Heil. - We have exceeded all initial expectations in every respect and have overcome every obstacle we have faced."

Increased privacy in toilets and sleeping quarters

The submarine is the third US Navy ship to be named after the State of New Jersey. The second was the USS New Jersey (BB-62), an Iowa-class battleship. It was often referred to as "Big J". The ship was used extensively during the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

When the Navy lifted the ban on women on submarines in 2010, concerns about cramped living quarters and lack of privacy led the Navy to modify the submarines to provide separate washrooms.

"The USS New Jersey was designed from the ground up to be bi-gender friendly, for example, with increased privacy in toilets and sleeping quarters, Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, Commander of the Atlantic Submarine Forces, told NorthJersey.com. Access to the upper berths and overhead valve engines has also been redesigned to consider women's height, ability, and strength.

Special attention for the interior

The nuclear-powered submarine was nicknamed "Jersey Girl," and its interior was decorated with posters and banners representing the country, including a guitar signed by musician Jon Bon Jovi, the news agency reported.

The nuclear-powered submarine is 377 feet (115 meters) long and 34 feet (almost 111 meters) in diameter. It can dive to depths of more than 800 feet and travel at speeds of more than 25 knots.

History of submarine shipping

Leonardo da Vinci was the first to express using a submarine for military purposes. The first rowing submarine was built in London in 1620 by the Dutchman Corneille Jakobchon Drebel. The first use of a submarine (steam submarine) in combat was in 1864 during the United States Civil War. In 1884 in Russia, engineer Stefan Dzhevetsky built a submarine powered by an electric battery. At the end of the 19th century, submarines were built with a dual power plant: petrol and diesel engines were used for surface navigation and electric engines for underwater navigation.

 Submarines were used for combat in World War I. They could submerge to 50 meters, travel at speeds of up to 18 km/h, and travel up to 20 kilometers underwater.

Before World War II, most maritime powers had submarines: Great Britain had 58, Germany 57, the United States 99, France 77, Italy 105, Japan 56 and the USSR 211.

Nuclear-powered submarines began to be built in the 1960s. The first nuclear-powered submarine, the Nautilus, was built in 1954 in the United States, armed with torpedoes, and operated until 1980. George Washington's submarine (used 1959-85) was also armed with ballistic missiles.

At the beginning of the 21st century, 33 countries had submarines in their arsenals. Only 5 countries (the United States of America, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and the People's Republic of China) have nuclear submarines.

Some of the nuclear-powered military submarines in service at the end of the first decade of the 21st century are: Ohio (United States of America, since 1981), Akula (Russia, since 1984), Seawolf (United States of America, since 1997), Virginia (United States of America, since 2000), Le Terrible (France, since 2008), Jasen (Russia, since 2010).