The US Navy has commissioned the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) on 28 March during a ceremony at Boston Harbor.
The commissioning concluded a multi-year process of construction, testing, and crew training.
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The USS Massachusetts becomes the fifth US Navy vessel to carry the name, following previous vessels including USS Massachusetts (BB 59), a South Dakota-class battleship that served in major Pacific campaigns during World War II.
The latest Massachusetts represents the seventh Block IV submarine constructed as part of a collaboration between General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and HII Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS).
Officials conducted traditional commissioning activities, with Sheryl Sandberg, co-founder of Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners and sponsor of the submarine, ordering the crew to “man our ship and bring her to life.”
HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division delivered USS Massachusetts to the Navy in November 2025 after its christening on 6 May 2023.
The vessel is the 25th Virginia-class submarine overall and the 12th to be delivered by NNS.
The submarine is equipped for open-ocean and littoral operations and is designed to replace older Los Angeles-class submarines as they are decommissioned.
The Virginia-class submarines feature improved stealth characteristics, surveillance systems, and enhanced special warfare capabilities, supporting multiple mission roles at speeds exceeding 25 knots.
This class of submarines has a displacement of 7,800 tonnes, measures 377ft in length, and features a beam of 34 ft.
In addition, the vessel features a reactor plant designed to operate throughout its planned service life without refuelling, which lowers lifecycle costs and increases time at sea.
