The U.S. Navy commissioned the newest addition to its fleet of nuclear fast-attack submarines during a ceremony Saturday.
The service formally welcomed the USS Idaho to active service at Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut, after several years of construction, making it the 26th Virginia-class submarine ready to participate in military operations.
“The Idaho connection is more than a name, it is a legacy — a legacy built before us that is being reborn today,” Cmdr. Chad J. Guillerault, Idaho’s commanding officer, said during the ceremony. “I am incredibly proud to be the commissioning captain of a vessel so steeped in tradition.”
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The previous USS Idaho, commissioned in 1919, was a New Mexico-class battleship that received seven battle stars for deployments during World War II to Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Japan.
During the ceremony, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said that U.S. commerce hinged on secure sea lanes and that the submarine would help carry out President Donald Trump’s goal of achieving peace through strength.
Cao assumed his position after previous Navy Secretary John Phelan was fired Wednesday after Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth decided new leadership was needed.
The Idaho is the eighth Block IV Virginia-class submarine, a configuration that allows a vessel to go longer between depot maintenance and offer an increased number of deployments compared to its predecessors, according to the Navy.
Blocks I-III Virginia-class submarines are slated for four depot maintenance availabilities and 14 deployments.
Prior to the Idaho, the Navy commissioned the Virginia-class Block IV submarine USS Massachusetts on March 28 in Boston, Massachusetts.
The U.S. Navy is currently in the midst of production on further reinforcements for the “Silent Service.” The Columbia-class submarine is expected to be delivered by 2028, according to a 2025 report from Congress.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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