According to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the company has successfully delivered the Massachusetts (SSN 798), a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, to the U.S. Navy.
The submarine wrapped up its sea trials in October and was officially transferred on November 21, as confirmed by both military and industry representatives.
This marks the twelfth Virginia-class submarine that HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding has delivered and is part of a long-standing collaboration with General Dynamics Electric Boat, bringing the total production count to 25 submarines.
The Massachusetts also holds historical significance as it is the fifth vessel in U.S. Navy history named after the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Kari Wilkinson, President of Newport News Shipbuilding, expressed that delivering this submarine after rigorous testing signifies an important milestone for their team this year. She emphasized their commitment to accelerating submarine production rates and views this delivery as a crucial step toward achieving that goal.
The construction of Massachusetts utilized modular techniques at both NNS in Virginia and Electric Boat’s facility in Groton, Connecticut. Over 10,000 shipbuilders contributed to its development alongside thousands of suppliers nationwide-more than 20 from Massachusetts alone.
This nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine was officially christened in May 2023 by Sheryl Sandberg, founder of Lean In and former COO at Meta Platforms Inc., who served as its sponsor.
As per Naval Sea Systems Command’s announcement, plans are underway for commissioning Massachusetts at Boston Harbor; however, an exact date has yet to be finalized with ceremonies expected in spring 2026.
The delivery comes on the heels of several significant achievements for the U.S. Navy recently-including commissioning its last Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship and accepting a future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer while also christening another Virginia-class sub named USS Utah (SSN-801).
