GROTON, CONN. — The USS Hawaii, a Virginia-class nuclear submarine, officially becomes an active weapon system today at a commissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton.

Two areas inside the Navy's newest nuclear attack submarine — a 7,800-ton vessel that's longer than a football field — reveal both the heights achieved by today's military technology and the boat's awesome firepower.

First, there is the USS Hawaii's control room.

For the uninitiated, it's much like a video game arcade. Gone is the old hull-penetrating peri-scope, replaced by cameras that take feeds from exterior sensors mounted on masts. All the crew's visual information comes via high-definition television, the familiar circular sonar screen sweeping the sea for blips replaced by streaming video.

Sailors today even drive the massive military weapon system with a joystick.

"Yeah, sometimes it feels like a video game," said Master Chief David Collins of Gales Ferry, who serves as pilot of the USS Hawaii, the latest addition to the Navy's nuclear arsenal. "The biggest difference, I would say, is the technology," the 23-year Navy veteran said during a media tour of the sub yesterday.

Then, there is the torpedo room.

The USS Hawaii, like other Virginia-class subs, has four 21-inch torpedo tubes and 12 vertical launch tubes with Tomahawk missiles.

MORE SPACE

A new design that changes how the sub carries its 4,000-pound torpedoes has resulted in increased room within the craft. That space can be filled with additional torpedoes, for a maximum of 24, or berthing can be created for 30 SEAL commandos.

The Navy says Hawaii's mission will include anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, special forces delivery and support, and covert mine warfare. It'll be able to strike targets ashore with precision Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land and sea.

"It's state-of-the-art," said Machinist Mate Andy Tapia of Lisbon, a nine-year submarine veteran, as he guided the media tour through the boat's torpedo room.

It's been almost two years since the sub was christened in June 2006.

Gov. Linda Lingle, the ship's sponsor, will be among the dignitaries, military personnel and others attending today's event, giving the crew its first order to "man our ship and bring her to life."

"When that order is given, the Hawaii will become a fully capable combat ship in the fleet," said Cmdr. David Solms, captain of the ship. Solms also will be promoted to the rank of captain today.

The approximately $2.5 billion sub, the Navy's first major combat ship designed for a post-Cold War environment, isn't expected to arrive at Pearl Harbor until early 2009.

It's designed to operate in both the open ocean and nearshore shallows, and Hawaii has improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements.

Even though the 377-foot ship — the first of several Virginia-class subs anticipated to be based in Hawai'i — was delivered to the Navy in December, ongoing work will keep it from arriving here far beyond today's commissioning in Groton, where the submarine was built.

Top-ranking Navy officials said the submarine will allow commanders to accomplish a broad range of missions.

"Land, sea and undersea firepower, advanced sensors and other special features will enable Hawaii to execute numerous war-fighting tasks simultaneously here in the Pacific area of operations and wherever they need to go," said Rear Adm. Joseph Walsh, commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in a written statement.

Today's ceremony has long been anticipated in Hawai'i. Bob Dewitz, a Navy League Honolulu Council member and chairman of the commissioning committee, said 2,500 people are expected for the commissioning, with about 50 from Hawai'i, including government and business leaders.

PARTY TIME

The ceremony will end tonight with a crew lu'au. A canoe club is bringing outrigger canoes, and entertainer Al Harrington will perform.

Today's events culminate a series of milestones in the submarine's construction and sea trials. In early December, during sea trials, the vessel, which can dive deeper than 800 feet, submerged for the first time and performed high-speed runs.

Officials said the tests were so successful that the ship returned to port a day early. The Navy at the time said the Hawaii's performance was "superb."

The Virginia-class submarines are the future for the Navy. The Pentagon decided that production of the deeper-diving but more expensive Seawolf class, designed as a replacement for the Los Angeles class, would end after the third submarine.

Six of the newer submarines are being built now and are named for the states of Virginia, Texas, Hawai'i, North Carolina, New Hampshire and New Mexico.

The Navy expects to pay for two Virginia-class subs per year in 2012, which is double the current rate, and is trying to get the price down to $2 billion a sub.

Their role will be to operate in the nearshore shallows where ships and commerce are concentrated. The subs have six side-mounted sonar arrays, plus arrays in the bow, sail and nose, improving capabilities for eavesdropping and mapping the ocean floor and minefields.

After commissioning and acoustics and other testing, the Hawaii may get a several-month mission — much like the first in the class, the USS Virginia — but it will have to return to the Groton shipyard in spring 2008 for up to a year of improvements and fine-tuning called the "post-shakedown availability."

With a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted men, the Hawaii will spend most of the next year undergoing its shakedown cruise.

"It's kind of like test-driving a new car," said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Quan, the boat's executive officer. "You take it out and see how it performs before bringing it back to the shop for improvements."

Those who have been assigned to USS Hawaii since it was turned over to the Navy last December expect few improvements will be needed.

The vessel will be based in Groton during its shakedown and post-shakedown testing.

In 2009, the boat will be assigned to its permanent home base in Hawai'i.

"This is as close as I get to Hawai'i," said Collins who, along with most of the other crew, likely will be reassigned to another ship before that.