USS Massachusetts commissioned as first Bay State submarine joins fleet

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The USS Massachusetts officially joined the U.S. Navy fleet on Saturday after a commissioning ceremony in Boston Harbor, becoming the first submarine named for the Bay State. The event marked the transition of the Virginia-class fast attack submarine from new construction to operations with the Navy.

The submarine, described by the Navy as able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet (240 meters), was christened on May 6, 2023, by its sponsor, Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Meta. The commissioning made it the 25th Virginia-class submarine co-produced by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding and the fifth U.S. Navy vessel named after Massachusetts.

During a ceremony-related briefing ahead of the Saturday event, the submarine’s commanding officer, Mike Siedsma, said commissioning the ship in Boston underscored what the Navy had accomplished in building and training with the crew. “To be able to take a ship from new construction and watch it be built together by the ship yard, train with our team and bring into Boston Harbor for the first time, it’s very amazing,” Siedsma said.

Siedsma also said the Navy had not brought a submarine into Boston Harbor in some time. “I looked at the history books. I don’t think we’ve had a submarine in Boston Harbor since sometime in the late ’80s or early ’90s.”

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said the commissioning ceremony highlighted the state’s connection to the nation’s maritime and military history. “The commissioning of the USS Massachusetts is a proud moment for Massachusetts and our country, especially as we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation,” Healey said.

She added that the ship represented “a long tradition of service” and reflected the dedication of the sailors who would serve aboard it. “This ship carries forward a long tradition of service and reflects the strength and dedication of the sailors who will serve aboard it.”

Sandberg said the commissioning also underscored how the Navy is shaping the submarine force for a gender-integrated crew. “The ship is intentionally designed to be served on by both women and men. That is pretty exciting. Twenty five percent of this crew is female,” Sandberg said.

The Navy said the crew of 147 includes 39 women, 16 years after a ban on women serving on submarines was lifted. The USS New Jersey, commissioned in 2024, was described as the first submarine designed and built with modifications for a gender-integrated crew.

Siedsma did not say where the USS Massachusetts was headed after commissioning. The Navy’s remarks about the broader strategic environment included discussion of the ongoing war involving Iran, with Siedsma referring to a U.S. submarine sinking an Iranian warship earlier this month off Sri Lanka. “The geopolitical situation is very interesting,” Siedsma said. “What is important to remember is what we are doing is proving the power of the United States Navy.”

Sandberg said the commissioning also brought to mind Massachusetts’s place in the founding of the United States and the fight for freedoms that colonists pursued. “People are still fighting for the same freedoms that the original colonists were fighting for,” she said.

The Navy said the USS Massachusetts is the fifth ship named for Massachusetts, following the first—a steamer built in 1845—and the last, the USS Massachusetts (BB 59), commissioned in 1942 as a South Dakota-class fast battleship that spent most of its time in the Pacific during World War II.

As reporters toured the submarine on Friday, they were taken through spaces including the control room, the torpedo room and the dining hall. The ward room, where officers eat, features a mug rack made with wood from counties in Massachusetts that was donated by “This Old House,” Siedsma said. “It was an incredible donation. Very great connection to the state and the commonwealth,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”