Navy Welcomes First Submarine to Bear Massachusetts Name

The USS Massachusetts became the first submarine named after the Bay State during a commissioning ceremony on Saturday. The $2.8 billion Virginia-class attack submarine features a crew of 147 sailors, including 39 women.

BOSTON — A historic milestone was reached Saturday as the Navy welcomed the USS Massachusetts into active service, marking the first time a submarine has carried the Bay State’s name.

The Virginia-class attack submarine received its official commissioning during a ceremony, becoming the 25th vessel of its class built jointly by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding. Former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, who serves as the ship’s sponsor, had previously christened the vessel on May 6, 2023.

Commanding Officer Mike Siedsma, a Navy veteran with 21 years of service across four different submarine classes, expressed his amazement at bringing the vessel to Boston Harbor.

“To be able to take a ship from new construction and watch it be built together by the ship yard, train with our team and bring into Boston Harbor for the first time, it’s very amazing,” Siedsma said. “I looked at the history books. I don’t think we’ve had a submarine in Boston Harbor since sometime in the late ’80s or early ’90s.”

The massive vessel carries a price tag exceeding $2.8 billion and weighs approximately 8,000 tons. Capable of diving beyond 800 feet, it can deploy 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Siedsma declined to reveal the submarine’s next destination amid current global tensions.

“The geopolitical situation is very interesting,” Siedsma noted. “What is important to remember is what we are doing is proving the power of the United States Navy.”

A notable feature of this submarine is its diverse crew composition, with 39 women among the 147 total sailors. This comes 16 years after the Navy eliminated restrictions on women serving aboard submarines. The USS New Jersey, commissioned in 2024, was the first submarine specifically designed with gender-integrated crew accommodations.

“The ship is intentionally designed to be served on by both women and men. That is pretty exciting. Twenty five percent of this crew is female,” Sandberg remarked. “Those sailors just don’t inspire me. They inspire every little girl out there to believe that she could do anything.”

This vessel represents the fifth Navy ship to honor Massachusetts. The original USS Massachusetts was a steamer constructed in 1845, while the most recent was the BB 59, a South Dakota-class battleship commissioned in 1942 that served primarily in Pacific operations during World War II.

Sandberg reflected on the commissioning’s deeper meaning, connecting it to Massachusetts’ role in America’s founding and how “people are still fighting for the same freedoms that the original colonists were fighting for.”

During media tours of the submarine, reporters visited the control center, torpedo compartment, and dining facilities. The officers’ wardroom features a distinctive mug rack crafted from wood representing Massachusetts counties, donated by the television program “This Old House.”

“It was an incredible donation. Very great connection to the state and the commonwealth,” Siedsma said. “It’s beautiful.”