The Navy will commission the 26th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, the future USS Idaho (SSN 799), during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, April 25, at Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut.
The Honorable James Risch, U.S. Senator from Idaho, will deliver the
ceremony's principal address. Additional speakers are set to include the
Honorable Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Senator from Connecticut; the
Honorable Brad Little, Governor of Idaho; the Honorable Michael Simpson,
U.S. Representative from Idaho; the Honorable Joe Courtney, U.S.
Representative from Connecticut; the Honorable Hung Cao, acting
Secretary of the Navy; Adm. William Houston, Director, Naval Nuclear
Propulsion Program; and Mark Rayha, president, General Dynamics Electric
Boat (GDEB).
The submarine's sponsor, Teresa Stackley, is the daughter of a Navy
Sailor and the spouse of the Honorable Sean Stackley, a former Naval
officer who served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research,
Development and Acquisition from 2008 to 2017. In keeping with Navy
tradition, Stackley will give the crew the order to "man our ship and
bring her to life." With the hoisting of the colors and commissioning
pennant, acting Secretary Cao will formally place the ship in active
service.
SSN 799 is the fifth Navy ship to be named for the state of Idaho.
The first was a wooden-hulled steam sloop commissioned in 1866. The most
recent was a New Mexico-class battleship, BB-42, which was commissioned
in 1919. BB-42 participated in major Naval battles in the Pacific
campaign from 1942 to 1945 and received seven battle stars for service
in World War II.
Idaho is the 26th Virginia-class submarine co-produced by GDEB and
HII-Newport News Shipbuilding through a long-standing teaming
arrangement. The submarine is the 14th delivered by GDEB and the eighth
Block IV-configured Virginia-class submarine. Idaho was christened March
16, 2024, at GDEB's shipyard in Groton.
As it joins the fleet, Idaho brings significant warfighting capability,
underscoring the Nation's asymmetrical advantage at sea. Virginia-class
fast-attack submarines have enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance
capabilities and special warfare enhancements that enable them to meet
the Navy's multi-mission requirements.
Each Virginia-class submarine is 7,800 tons and 377 feet in length and
has a beam of 34 feet. It is designed with a reactor plant that will not
require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing
life-cycle costs while increasing underway time.
The commissioning of USS Idaho underscores the Navy's commitment to
building America's Fleet of the Future. For 250 years, American naval
power has projected strength globally. That mission continues – and
intensifies. We operate forward 24/7, 365 days a year. This operational
tempo demands continuous capability delivery, and the Fleet of the
Future is our answer.
The commissioning ceremony will be streamed live at: https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/37488.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342.
More information on the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine program can be found at: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169558/attack-submarines-ssn
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