The US Navy has accepted the USS Massachusetts (SSN 798), the 25th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, from HII segment Newport News Shipbuilding.
The nuclear-powered submarine is the 12th Virginia-class vessel delivered by the yard and the fifth naval ship to carry the name of the Bay State.
It is also the seventh Block IV boat in the Virginia-class line, a configuration designed for higher operational availability and reduced maintenance downtime.
The Massachusetts began construction in 2020, with its keel laid during a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was christened in May 2023 by ship sponsor Sheryl Sandberg and launched into the James River in February 2024.
Initial sea trials in October tested the platform’s navigation, propulsion, combat systems, and high-speed performance above and below water.
It will continue additional trials with its crew ahead of commissioning next year.
More than 10,000 shipbuilders from Newport News and program partner General Dynamics Electric Boat, along with thousands of suppliers nationwide, contributed to the vessel’s construction.
“With each Virginia-class submarine delivery, the Navy strengthens its partnership with the shipbuilding industry to maintain our undersea dominance,” said Capt. Mike Hollenbach, Virginia-class submarine program manager of the US Navy.
“I’m proud of the work thousands of shipbuilders and Navy personnel have put into reaching this important construction milestone. Together, we continue to build the best submarines in the world.”
The vessel’s delivery follows the commissioning of USS Iowa (SSN 797), the 24th Virginia-class submarine, in April 2025.
The Virginia Submarines
The contract to build Virginia-class submarines was awarded to HII and General Dynamics in 2014 as part of Washington’s plan to replace aging Los Angeles-class boats that have been in service since the 1970s.
The Virginia-class is designed to operate in both deep ocean and littoral environments, allowing the US Navy to maintain sub-surface lethality capability across multiple maritime missions.
Each vessel in the series is 115 to 140 meters (377 to 460 feet) in length and has a beam of 10 meters (34 feet).
A submarine carries a nuclear reactor with an output of 280,000 horsepower, steam turbines, pump-jet propulsion, and a secondary motor for speeds over 25 knots (46 kilometers/29 miles per hour).
The fleet is equipped with torpedoes, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and Harpoon over-the-horizon anti-ship missiles.
