The US Navy said that it has completed shakedown trials on the Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) USS Massachusetts and that the submarine is ready for fleet tasking.
The navy remarked that, "as a result of the superb material condition and combat readiness," is waived the post-shakedown availability of the SSN.
"This decision was made possible by the operational quality of the ship during trials and the urgency to deliver warfighting capability to the fleet," the navy said in a press release.
"Waiving this availability reflects the exceptional condition of the ship and our determination to deliver combat-ready capability faster," said Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of of Naval operations. "It also allows our shipbuilding workforce to focus its talent and capacity where we need it most, building the next generation of submarines our nation requires."
Massachusetts is the 25th Virginia-class submarine overall, as well as the 12th in the Virginia-class to be delivered by Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding division.
As with her Virginia-class sisters, the SSN is capable of operating in littoral and deep waters. Her missions include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations forces support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare, and mine warfare.
Massachusetts was delivered to the navy in November 2025 and commissioned the following March.
