"hunley" had the distinction of being the first ship designed and built from the keel up to service and maintain the u.s. navy's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine fleet. she had complete facilities for servicing the complex polaris weapons systems and for accomplishing any submarine repair other than a major shipyard overhaul. the hull was laid down in by the newport news shipbuilding & dry dock company, newport news, virginia and sponsored by mrs. j. palmer gaillard, wife of the mayor of charleston, south carolina. the ship was named in honor of horace lawson hunley, the designer of the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel in naval history, the confederate submarine h. l. hunley.