USS Massachusetts Participates in Commissioning Ceremony
The U.S. Navy’s USS Massachusetts visited Boston for a commissioning ceremony on Saturday, March 28. According to a NewsCenter 5 report, the USS Massachusetts is the Navy’s 25th Virginia-class submarine….
The USS Constitution sails past the Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) during Massachusetts’ commissioning in Boston, on March 28th, 2026. Massachusetts is the newest fast-attack submarine and the fifth U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Lucas J. Hastings)
The U.S. Navy's USS Massachusetts visited Boston for a commissioning ceremony on Saturday, March 28.
According to a NewsCenter 5 report, the USS Massachusetts is the Navy's 25th Virginia-class submarine. These nuclear-powered vessels measure approximately 377 feet and can carry a crew of 145, according to a military fact sheet. Armaments can include Tomahawk missiles and torpedoes.
WCVB noted the vessel is the fifth Navy vessel named for Massachusetts. The first was a steamer that the military acquired in 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The latest was a South Dakota-class fast battleship, decommissioned in 1947 and now on display at Battleship Cove.
The USS Massachusetts received its christening at the NNS shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, on May 6, 2023, by the vessel's sponsor, Sheryl Sandberg, the founder of LeanIn.Org and former chief operating officer of Meta Platforms. The commissioning ceremony in Boston last weekend follows the submarine's sea trials and commemorates its official place in the fleet.
According to a Boston Globe report, more than 10,000 shipbuilders contributed to the construction of the submarine. The work began in 2020 at Newport News, Virginia, by Huntington Ingalls Industries in partnership with General Dynamics. The ship was christened in May 2023, with modular sections moved between facilities for assembly.
The vessel's initial trials included submerged operations, high-speed surface and underwater maneuvers, and comprehensive system tests as part of initial qualification, according to the Globe.
"She can pretty much head anywhere in the world. She may end up in the Middle East. She may end up in the European theater. She could end up in the Indo-Pacific theater. Right? There's really no limit," said Chief of Boat Edward Brenann III in a statement shared with WCVB. "Whether we're conducting intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, whether we are operating in open ocean, making sure sea control stays available, to international partners, whatever we are asked to do."
The submarine is expected to be stationed in its home port of Groton, Connecticut.
