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The 12th Virginia Class fast-attack submarine, USS Massachusetts, has been delivered to the US Navy.
HII recently announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has delivered the 25th as part of the teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat. The submarine and the crew will now continue to undergo a series of tests and trials before the boat’s official commissioning ceremony.
“Delivering Massachusetts after its rigorous sea trials is an important milestone commitment for our team this year,” NNS president Kari Wilkinson said.
“We are absolutely steadfast in our resolve to increase the pace of submarine construction and see this as a solid step toward our overall objective.”
USS Massachusetts, the seventh of 10 Block IV configured attack submarines, was named in May 2023 at NNS by ship sponsor Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In founder and former chief operating officer of Meta.
“The US Navy just welcomed a powerful new asset. We’re excited to announce the delivery of the future USS Massachusetts (SSN 798), the 25th Virginia Class submarine, from HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division on Nov 21,” according to the US Navy.
“With advanced stealth, surveillance and special warfare capabilities, the Massachusetts will bolster our nation’s asymmetrical advantage at sea.”
More than 10,000 shipbuilders from NNS and Electric Boat participated in the construction of USS Massachusetts alongside thousands of suppliers across the country, including more than 20 in Massachusetts that support Virginia Class submarine construction at NNS.
“With each Virginia Class submarine delivery, the Navy strengthens its partnership with the shipbuilding industry to maintain our undersea dominance,” Virginia Class Submarine program manager Captain Mike Hollenbach said.
“I’m proud of the work thousands of shipbuilders and Navy personnel have put into reaching this important construction milestone. Together, we continue build the best submarines in the world.”
The submarine is the fifth Navy vessel named for the commonwealth of Massachusetts. The first USS Massachusetts was a steamer built in 1845 and acquired by the US War Department in 1847 to use as a transport vessel during the Mexican-American War.
The last USS Massachusetts, BB 59, was commissioned in 1942 as a South Dakota Class fast battleship. It spent most of its short life in the Pacific and received 11 battle stars for exceptional service in World War II before being decommissioned in 1947.
