U.S. Navy Christens Newest Virginia-class Attack Submarine, The USS Idaho

The USS Idaho (SSN 799), the most recent addition to the US Navy’s fleet of Virginia-class attack submarines, was christened on March 16 at 10 a.m. EDT at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut. The ceremony was a crucial milestone in the vessel’s construction in 2017.

The Honorable Nicholas H. Guertin, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) for Research, Development, and Acquisition, delivered the event’s inaugural speech. Senior members from various organisations, including the Navy, shipbuilders, Congress, and the state of Idaho, were also scheduled to speak.

This christening was set apart by the unconventional custom of shattering a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

Ms. Teresa Stackley, the Submarine’s Sponsor and the daughter of a Navy Sailor, christened the boat with water from various Idaho lakes. The Honorable Sean Stackley, a former naval officer who held the ASN (RDA) position from 2008 to 2017, is also married to Ms. Stackley.

The fifth ship in the US Navy to carry the name “Idaho” is the USS Idaho (SSN 799), the 26th fast-attack Virginia class submarine. The battleship BB 42, commissioned in 1919, was the last ship bearing this name.

Idaho has a long naval history and continues contributing to the fleet despite being landlocked. Notably, the state is home to the Navy’s Acoustic Research Detachment on Lake Pend Oreille, a vital body of water for submarine research.

Virginia-class submarines are designed to conduct operations in various maritime locations, from shallow to deep waters. They can carry out missions related to mine warfare, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, and support for special operations forces.

The USS Idaho, a next-generation attack submarine, provides the Navy with the tools it needs to sustain its underwater dominance well into the twenty-first century.

Virginia-class submarine production is carried out under a cooperative arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding. Electric Boat has supplied Idaho, the 13th submarine, demonstrating the company’s ongoing dedication to enhancing naval capabilities through cooperation and innovative technology.

Reference: defense.gov

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