HII [HII] delivered the 23rd Virginia-class attack submarine to the Navy on Thursday, the future USS New Jersey
(SSN-796).
SSN-796 is the 11th submarine of its type HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division in Newport News, Va., has delivered to the service.
HII delivered this submarine as part of a teaming agreement with the other submarine builder, General Dynamics Electric Boat [GD].
The company noted ship construction had over 10,000 shipbuilders from both companies participate in the work to complete the vessel. It also noted this is the first submarine of its class designed and built with crew gender integration.
“It is a proud day for our entire team when we deliver a high-quality submarine like New Jersey to the fleet. The mission ahead for New Jersey and her crew is clear, and we applaud our shipbuilders for delivering this critical capability to the fleet, while maintaining our highest standards of safety and quality,” Jason Ward, NNS vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction, said in a statement.
SSN-796 was previously christened in November 2021 by Susan DiMarco, wife of the former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson.
According to the ship’s commissioning committee, the New Jersey is expected to be commissioned in New Jersey on Sept. 14.
Rep. Joe Courtney, (D-Conn.), whose district includes GD’s submarine shipyard facility, argued this is “another sign of forward momentum as talented shipbuilders at Newport News Shipbuilding, in partnership with Electric Boat, deliver the 23rd Virginia-Class submarine.”
He noted this is the second submarine delivered to the Navy in the last six months, with the future USS Iowa (SSN-797) and Massachusetts (SSN-798) also planned to be delivered this year.