The USS Indiana, a nuclear powered-attack submarine, will be commissioned in a special ceremony Sept. 29 at Port Canaveral.
A limited number of ceremony tickets were available to the public but have already been reserved. There are two remaining events that the public can attend marking the celebration.
The first is a 5K fun run at 7 a.m. Sept. 29. The race runs from Exploration Tower to the Port Canaveral locks and back. Cost is $30 and registered participants will receive a T-shirt.
The second is a prayer service at 8 a.m. on Sept. 30 at Jetty Park.
The USS Indiana is the 16th Virginia-class submarine to join the fleet, and was built at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia.
The vessel weighs 7,800 tons and is 377 feet in length with a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. Its specially designed reactor plant does not require refueling during the planned life of the boat, which the Navy says reduced lifecycle costs and increases the amount of time the submarine can remain underway at any one time.
The sub is outfitted to support Special Operations missions, including a torpedo room that can be reconfigured to accommodate larger numbers of personnel on prolonged missions. Instead of traditional periscopes, it has two visible and infrared digital cameras atop telescoping arms. The cameras are maneuvered by a video game controller.
