Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has successfully completed the initial sea trials for the future US Navy Virginia-class attack submarine USS Massachusetts.
Over the course of several days at sea, the NNS and navy team conducted testing of systems and components, including submerging the submarine for the first time and performing high-speed manoeuvres while on the surface and submerged.
The testing program will continue at NNS ahead of delivering the boat to the US Navy.
The future Massachusetts, the 25th Virginia-class submarine, was christened in May 2023. She will also be the 12th Virginia-class boat delivered by NNS.
As with her Virginia-class sisters, the submarine will be capable of operating in littoral and deep waters. Missions will include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations forces support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare, and mine warfare.
The future Massachusetts measures 377 feet (114 metres) long and 34 feet (10.3 metres) wide. She will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet (240 metres).
The Virginia-class submarines were conceived as a less expensive alternative to the Seawolf-class boats, which were designed during the Cold War era, and are replacing older Los Angeles-class submarines.