The Navy has speeded up the arrival of Pearl Harbor's first Virginia-class attack submarine, the USS Hawai'i, with the state-named sub expected be in its new home port around June, officials said.

Officials hope the namesake submarine can take part in the 50th anniversary of Statehood Day, which is celebrated on the third Friday in August. On Aug. 21, 1959, Hawai'i became the 50th state in the union.

Pearl Harbor is expected to receive three of the first four of the latest-generation subs to be built after the lead ship in the class, the USS Virginia.

The Hawai'i, Texas and North Carolina would be based here and augment and begin to replace the 15 older Los Angeles-class attack subs that operate out of Pearl Harbor.

The Texas was projected to arrive first in 2009, but the arrival of the Hawai'i has now been moved up ahead of the Texas. Officials said the flip-flop is a result of some political clout working to bring the USS Hawai'i to Pearl Harbor as fast as possible and the need for some work on the Texas.

Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, the state adjutant general, said it's hard to say what the new submarine's operational commitments will be, but "we would like to work with the Navy to see how we could work in the USS Hawai'i as part of statehood celebrations."

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai'i, said it is fitting that the first Virginia-class submarine to be home-ported at Pearl Harbor will be the USS Hawai'i.

"I have no doubt that the men and women of the shipyard will ensure that she is fit and remains fit to fight today and in the years to follow," Inouye said.

The 377-foot Virginia-class subs are expected to provide work for the shipyard, the state's largest industrial employer. Inouye in August 2007 announced that the Hawai'i, Texas and North Carolina would be coming to Pearl Harbor.

The $2.4 billion to $2.7 billion high-tech submarines are designed to operate in both the open ocean and nearshore shallows, and have improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements.

"USS Hawai'i represents our very newest technologies and advancements in submarine design and capability," said Adm. Robert Willard, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet.