Uss Massachusetts – Submarine With Ability To Carry 24 Tomahawk Cruise Missiles – Joins Navy Fleet

The USS Massachusetts officially joined nan US Navy fleet connected Saturday pursuing its commissioning ceremony, becoming nan first submarine named aft nan Bay State.

This newest Virginia-class accelerated onslaught submarine, tin of diving to depths greater than 800 feet (240 metres), was christened connected 6 May 2023. Sheryl Sandberg, nan erstwhile main operating serviceman of Meta, served arsenic nan ship's sponsor.

It is nan 25th Virginia-Class submarine co-produced by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding, and nan 5th US Navy alloy wide to beryllium named aft Massachusetts.

"To beryllium capable to return a vessel from caller building and watch it beryllium built together by nan vessel yard, train pinch our squad and bring into Boston Harbor for nan first time, it's very amazing," said nan sub's commanding officer, Mike Siedsma, a 21-year Navy seasoned who has spent clip connected 4 different classes of submarines. "I looked astatine nan history books. I don't deliberation we've had a submarine successful Boston Harbor since sometime successful nan precocious '80s aliases early '90s."

Siedsma did not opportunity wherever nan sub — which costs complete $2.8 billion, weighs astir 8,000 tons and tin transportation 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles — is headed. A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship disconnected nan seashore of Sri Lanka earlier this period successful nan warfare pinch Iran.

"The geopolitical business is very interesting," Siedsma said. "What is important to retrieve is what we are doing is proving nan powerfulness of nan United States Navy."

The unit of 147 besides includes 39 women, 16 years aft a prohibition connected women serving connected submarines was lifted. The USS New Jersey, which was commissioned successful 2024, was nan first sub designed and built pinch modifications for a gender-integrated crew.

"The vessel is intentionally designed to beryllium served connected by some women and men. That is beautiful exciting. Twenty 5 percent of this unit is female," Sandberg said. "Those sailors conscionable don't animate me. They animate each small woman retired location to judge that she could do anything."

The Navy said this is nan 5th alloy to beryllium named aft nan state. The first USS Massachusetts was a steamer built successful 1845 and nan past was USS Massachusetts, BB 59, commissioned successful 1942 arsenic a South Dakota-class accelerated battleship. Most of its clip was spent successful nan Pacific during World War II.

For Sandberg, nan commissioning besides brought to mind nan domiciled nan authorities has played successful nan founding of nan United States and really "people are still fighting for nan aforesaid freedoms that nan original colonists were fighting for."

Reporters touring nan sub were led past nan power room, down into nan torpedo room and into nan eating hall. The ward room, wherever officers eat, besides features a mug rack featuring wood from counties successful Massachusetts. It was donated by "This Old House," nan tv location betterment show.

"It was an unthinkable donation. Very awesome relationship to nan authorities and nan commonwealth," Siedsma said. "It's beautiful."