A new Navy ship is headed towards the water bearing the name of the state. The USS Illinois is a Virginia class submarine that was commissioned with help of the First Lady and a number of Navy dignitaries. Lt. Commander Preston Gilman, the ships Executive Officer says that sub is on the cutting edge of naval technology.
The Illinois is the 13th Virginia Class sub in the Navy fleet. The sub has a crew of about 130 and is 377 feet long and can dive to depths of 800 feet. The first Navy ship named Illinois was a battleship built in 1901.
