The U.S. Navy has commissioned its newest Virginia-class submarine, USS Idaho, into active service at a ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.
USS Idaho is the eighth of ten planned Block IV Virginia-class submarines; she is 115m long, displaces about 7,800 tons fully submerged and is capable of speeds in excess of 25 knots.
At Saturday’s commissioning ceremony Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao remarked: “We are a maritime nation, bordering on both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Our commerce depends on safe and secure sea lanes of communication.
“President Trump’s commission to our military is simple: to achieve peace through strength. The USS Idaho joins the fleet ready to answer the call to action, in any ocean, at any time.”
Built by General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB), USS Idaho was laid down in 2020 and launched in August 2024. She represents the 26th Virginia-class submarine co-produced by GDEB and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding.
USS Idaho is the fifth U.S. Navy vessel to be named after The Gem State, and will operate as part of Submarine Squadron Four.
The nuclear-powered Virginia-class attack submarines are designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships. They are armed with torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles and are designed for a range of missions including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), mine warfare, battle group support, and Special Operation Forces (SOF) deployments.
- You can watch footage of the commissioning via the SECNAV’s X feed