The Navy just laid the keel for its latest attack submarine

(US Navy via AP)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The keel of the nation's 20th Virginia-class attack submarine named for Oregon is being laid at the manufacturing plant for General Dynamics' Electric Boat.

The milestone is being marked Saturday at a Rhode Island shipyard. It comes at a time when many in Congress and in the military are eager to get more submarines into the fleet.

Groton, Connecticut-based Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia have an agreement to build two attack submarines annually.

The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have each approved bills to authorize building three submarines instead of two in some years, and also authorize additional funding to prepare for the increased work.

The future USS Oregon is expected to cost about $2.7 billion and be delivered to the Navy in November 2019.

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