The U.S. Navy has just welcomed USS Massachusetts, its newest nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, into active service.
The 7,800-ton, 377ft boat was commissioned at the weekend during a special ceremony staged in Boston Harbour in the state after which the new submarine has been named.
Built under a teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), the boat was constructed at the Newport News shipyard and represents its 12th Virginia-class submarine.
USS Massachusetts is the seventh of ten planned Block IV Virginia-class submarines. Like the Block III variants, they feature enhanced stealth and surveillance capabilities including a revised bow with a Large Aperture Bow (LAB) sonar array.
They also share missile-launch technology shared from Ohio-class SSGNs, featuring two vertical launch system (VLS) tubes each carrying six individual missiles. The boats can carry 37 Tomahawk cruise missiles; the remainder can be fired via torpedo tubes.
USS Massachusetts was christened back in May 2023. As per a previous NNS press statement, more than 10,000 shipbuilders from NNS and Electric Boat were involved in building Massachusetts, as well as thousands of suppliers.
The nuclear-powered attack submarine is capable of a maximum speed of in excess of 25 knots and has a crew of about 135. She is 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 one more Block IV boat, the future USS Arkansas, and 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 about the boat on the USS Massachusetts website and more about the her commissioning on the DVIDS website