The Navy will commission the newest Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, the future USS New Jersey (SSN 796), during an 11 a.m. EST ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown Township, New Jersey.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will deliver the principal address. Additional speakers include Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro; Adm. William Houston, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program; U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone and Donald Norcross from New Jersey; Jennifer Boykin, president of HII-Newport News Shipbuilding; and Larry Runkle, vice president of the Virginia-Class Submarine Program at General Dynamics Electric Boat.
The submarine's sponsor is Dr. Susan DiMarco, a retired dentist and wife of former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. As part of the commissioning ceremony tradition, she will give the order to "man our ship and bring her to life." With the hoisting of the colors and commission pennant, Secretary Del Toro will formally place the ship in active service.
The future USS New Jersey (SSN 796) is the third naval vessel named for the state. The first USS New Jersey was a battleship commissioned in 1906 as part of the Great White Fleet that expanded the Navy during World War I. The second was also a battleship commissioned in 1943 that earned commendations for action in World War II and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.
New Jersey is the fifth Block IV Virginia-class submarine and is designed with modifications for a gender-integrated crew. Former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced its name on May 24, 2015. Its keel was authenticated on March 25, 2019, and it was christened at Newport News Shipbuilding on Nov. 13, 2021. The shipbuilder delivered New Jersey on April 25 this year.
Each Virginia-class submarine weighs 7,800 tons and measures 377 feet in length with a beam of 34 feet. It can operate at more than 25 knots submerged and features a reactor plant that does not require refueling during its planned life span, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time. The submarine was built under a unique teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding wherein both companies build certain portions of each submarine and then alternate deliveries. New Jersey (SSN 796) is the eleventh Virginia-class submarine delivered by HII-NNS.
The commissioning ceremony will be streamed live at: https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/33459/.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. More information on Virginia-class fast-attack submarines can be found at: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169558/attack-submarines-ssn
