U.S. Navy Commissions $2.8 Billion Submarine “USS Massachusetts” With 25% Female Crew

The USS Massachusetts joined the U.S Navy fleet on Saturday, becoming the first submarine to be named after a Bay State.

This Virginia-class fast-attack submarine cost more than $2.8 billion, weighs around 8,000 tonnes, and can carry 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

It can dive to depths of over 240 metres and has a 147-member crew, including 39 women, after a ban on women serving on submarines was lifted.

The new submarine, co-produced by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding, was christened on May 6, 2023, by its sponsor, Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Meta.

The commissioning ceremony was held on the Boston Harbour.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said the event showcases the state’s “deep ties to our nation’s maritime and military history, and we are proud to see that legacy continue with this next generation of service.”

A few media personalities were invited to tour the new U.S Navy submarine on Friday.

They were shown the control room, the torpedo room, the dining hall and the ward room where officers eat and sleep.

It also had a beautiful mug rack made with wood from Massachusetts’ counties, donated by a television home improvement show, “This Old House.”

It is the 5th U.S. Navy vessel named after Massachusetts. The first to be named after the state was a steamer constructed in 1845, and the last was a South Dakota-class fast battleship commissioned in 1942.