The USS Texas has left Pearl Harbor on the first six-month deployment conducted by a Pacific-based Virginia-class submarine.

The Navy did not say where the Texas will be at sea after leaving its berth May 19.

“;USS Texas is flexible and ready to rapidly respond to a wide range of situations on short notice in support of national security,”; said Cmdr. Bob Roncska, Texas' commanding officer, in a written statement. “;I am extremely proud of my Texas crew—no doubt the best crew I have had the opportunity to serve with in all my 20 years of naval service.”;

Capt. Michael Jabaley, the Virginia-class program manager, said in a written statement, “;USS Texas is at sea executing tasking vital to national security.”; The Navy never talks publicly about the locations and operations of its nuclear submarines, but the Pacific Fleet's area of operations includes the western Pacific and much of the Indian Ocean.

This is the Texas' first deployment since changing home ports to Pearl Harbor in October.

The Texas was commissioned Sept. 9, 2006. It is the second Virginia-class attack submarine constructed and the first sub to be named after the Lone Star State.

The USS Hawaii, the first Virginia-class submarine assigned to Pearl Harbor, arrived here July 23 and finished a monthlong retrofit in April. It was followed by the USS Texas in October.

This will be a busy year for the Virginia-class program.

The USS North Carolina will arrive at Pearl Harbor this summer.

Additionally, the Navy will commission the USS Missouri on July 31, marking the second time since 1996 the Navy has commissioned two submarines of the same class in the same year. USS New Mexico, the sixth ship of the Virginia class, was commissioned March 27, after being delivered to the Navy four months ahead of the contracted delivery date.

In preparation for Texas' deployment, the submarine underwent a scheduled pre-deployment maintenance program at Pearl Harbor, the largest industrial employer in Hawaii with a combined civilian and military work force of more than 4,700.

Seventeen of the 30 Pacific-based attack submarines are home-ported at Pearl Harbor, and each of these contributes about $17 million a year to the local economy, according to Gov. Linda Lingle.