The U.S. Navy’s 25th Virginia-class submarine, the future USS Massachusetts, has just finished her initial sea trials.
Built at HII’s Newport News Shipyard (NNS), the submarine, which was christened back in May 2023, has just returned from several days at sea, as per a company press statement.
A combined team of Navy and shipyard workers put the boat’s systems and components through their paces including submerging the submarine for the first time and carrying out high-speed manoeuvres both while submerged and on the surface.
NNS President Kari Wilkinson commented: “Our entire team at Newport News Shipbuilding understands the importance of delivering capability to our fleet… Proving capabilities through this first sea trial for Massachusetts is an important step in demonstrating this.”
The nuclear-powered attack submarine is 115 metres long and has a 10-metre beam; she is capable of a maximum speed of in excess of 25 knots and has a crew of about 135. She is the 12th Virginia-class boat built at NNS; one more Block IV boat, the future USS Arkansas, is also under construction at the yard.
The Block IV submarines are able to carry 37 Tomahawk cruise missiles; 12 of these can be fired via vertical launch tubes, the remainder via torpedo tubes.
They are designed for a range of missions including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and mine warfare.
NNS is also currently building four more Block V variants, the Oklahoma, Barb, Wahoo and Silversides. Two further boats, Long Island and Miami have also been authorised.
Virginia-class submarines are scheduled to be built until at least 2043, and are likely to stay in active service until at least 2060, with the newest boats expected to operate into the 2070s.
- You can read more details on the HII website