U.S Navy’s New Submarine Named After Famous WWII Battleship

The U.S. Navy received the Virginia-class submarine, the future USS Idaho (SSN 799), from General Dynamics Electric Boat on December 15, 2025.

It is the 26th Virginia-class submarine constructed by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding.

It is the 14th sub of the class delivered by the company and the eighth of 10 Block IV submarines.

USS Idaho is 377 feet long and 34 feet wide, with a submerged displacement of 7800 tons.

The submarine requires less maintenance time and can go on longer deployments, thanks to the single nuclear reactor, which drives one shaft, giving it an unlimited range and a top speed of over 25 knots underwater.

The sub is manned by 145 crew members, including 17 officers and 128 enlisted personnel.

It has Mk 48 Advanced Capability torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles that can be fired from torpedo tubes or dedicated payload tubes.

Virginia-attack subs are a major part of the U.S Navy. They are quiet, have modern sensors, and can operate in near-shore and deeper waters.

They can perform several missions like hunting enemy subs and ships, launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, supporting special operations, gathering intelligence, and working with carrier strike groups.

These submarines are known for being quiet, equipped with advanced sensors, and capable of operating in both deep water and near the shore.

Idaho is expected to enhance the Navy’s submarine fleet capabilities, especially as the situation is tense in the Indo-Pacific and other regions.

The sub is the 5th U.S naval ship to bear this name, with the first being a wooden-hulled storeship which was commissioned in 1866.

Its most recent predecessor was the battleship USS Idaho, or BB-42, which was commissioned in 1919 and earned 7 battle stars in WWII.

The delivery of this sub shows the navy’s commitment to keep shipbuilding on schedule despite issues like rising costs, labour shortages and increasing demand for undersea platforms.

Source: Maritime Shipping News