US Navy commissions 377 ft nuclear-powered submarine in Boston Harbor

The U.S. Navy commissioned the USS Massachusetts (SSN-798), a 377-foot Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, during a ceremony in Boston Harbor on March 28, 2026. As the 25th vessel in the Virginia-class program and the seventh built to the Block IV configuration, the submarine is designed for stealth, intelligence gathering, anti-submarine warfare, and precision strike missions using Tomahawk cruise missiles and torpedoes. Powered by a nuclear reactor, it can operate underwater for extended periods without refueling, reach speeds of about 25 knots, and dive deeper than 800 feet. The Block IV design reduces maintenance needs, allowing for more deployments over its service life. Construction began in December 2020, with sea trials completed in the Atlantic before delivery to the Navy in November 2025. The Virginia-class submarines represent a shift toward versatile, multi-mission platforms capable of supporting intelligence operations, special forces deployment, and long-range strikes amid