BOSTON - The Navy will commission the 25th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, the future USS Massachusetts (SSN 798), during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, March 28, at Boston Harbor.
The Honorable David Denton, General Counsel of the Navy, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Additional speakers are set to include Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey; Adm. William Houston, director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program; the Honorable Seth Moulton, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts; and Kari Wilkinson, president, Newport News Shipbuilding.
The submarine's sponsor is Sheryl Sandberg, co-founder of Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners. In keeping with long-standing Navy tradition, she will give the crew the order to "man our ship and bring her to life." With the hoisting of the colors and commission pennant, Admiral Houston will formally place the ship in active service.
SSN 798 is the eighth vessel named for the state of Massachusetts, with the first two dating back to early 1790s as ships of the U.S Revenue Cutter Service, the precursor to the Coast Guard. The last ship named Massachusetts was a South Dakota-class fast battleship that commissioned in 1942 and participated in nearly every major Pacific campaign from 1943 to 1945. Massachusetts (BB 59) received 11 battle stars for her World War II service. The battleship was decommissioned in 1947 and is now preserved in Fall River, Mass., as a museum and memorial to those who gave their lives in World War II.
Massachusetts (SSN 798) is the seventh Block IV Virginia-class submarine, built under a teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding. The submarine was christened at the NNS shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, on May 6, 2023. It is the 12th Virginia-class submarine delivered by NNS.
As it joins the fleet, Massachusetts (SSN 798) brings significant warfighting capability, underscoring the Nation's asymmetrical advantage at sea. Virginia-class fast attack submarines have enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that enable them to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements.
Each Virginia-class submarine is 7,800-tons and 377 feet in length and has a beam of 34 feet. It is designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.
The commissioning of the USS Massachusetts underscores the Navy's commitment to building America's Golden Fleet. For 250 years, American naval power has projected strength globally. That mission continues - and intensifies. We operate forward 24/7, 365 days a year. This operational tempo demands continuous capability delivery, and the Golden Fleet is our answer.
The commissioning ceremony will be streamed live at: https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/37343 .
