USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) explained

USS Massachusetts (SSN-798), is a nuclear powered attack submarine currently being built for the United States Navy. She is the 25th submarine of the class, and is named for the U.S. state of Massachusetts—the eighth such vessel.

History

SSN-798 was part of a $17.6 billion contract awarded by the U.S. Navy to prime contractor General Dynamics Electric Boat to construct 10 Virginia-class submarines.[1] Ray Mabus, then Secretary of the Navy, announced the name Massachusetts on 8 November 2015 in an opinion piece for The Boston Globe.[2] She is the first vessel to be named after the Commonwealth since the battleship was decommissioned in 1947.[3]

Her keel was laid 11 December 2020 at Newport News Shipbuilding, in a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was christened by ship sponsor Sheryl Sandberg on 6 May 2023. In November 2023, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro advised that Boston would be the site of the vessel's commissioning, scheduled for the spring of 2025.[4]

Notes and References

  1. News: U.S. Navy Awards 'Largest Shipbuilding Contract' in Service History. USNI News. 28 April 2014. 12 December 2020.
  2. News: Mabus. Ray. New sub USS Massachusetts critical to growing fleet. 8 November 2015. The Boston Globe. 8 November 2015.
  3. News: Levenson. Eric. A nuclear attack sub will become the newest USS Massachusetts. 8 November 2015. Boston.com. 6 November 2015.
  4. News: Navy selects Boston as commissioning site for new USS Massachusetts nuclear attack submarine . Lance . Reynolds . . November 15, 2023 . November 17, 2023.