U.S. Naval Institute News - 12/17/25 - General Dynamics Electric Boat Delivers Attack Sub Idaho to U.S. Navy

Thu Dec 18th, 2025

Submarine builder General Dynamics Electric Boat delivered a Virginia-class attack boat to the U.S. Navy on Monday, the service announced.

The future USS Idaho (SSN-799) is the second attack boat the Navy has received this year, after taking USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) from HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding last month.

“Idaho is the 26th Virginia-class submarine co-produced by GDEB and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding through a long-standing teaming arrangement,” reads a service news release. “It is the 14th delivered by GDEB and is the eighth of 10 Block IV configured attack submarines.”

The delivery comes as the submarine industrial base works toward building 2.33 Virginia-class attack boats, in addition to one Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine boat, per year so the U.S. can meet its obligations under the AUKUS security pact. The submarine industrial base currently builds 1.3 attack boats per year.

“The future USS Idaho is the fifth Navy ship to be named for the state of Idaho,” reads the news release. “The first was a wooden-hulled storeship commissioned in 1866. The last was battleship BB 42, which was commissioned in 1919 and received seven battle stars for service in World War II.”

Future USS Oklahoma (SSN 802) Virginia-class Block V nuclear attack submarine now with pressure hull complete in Newport News, Virginia – posted December 16, 2025 SRC: X-@WeAreHII pic.twitter.com/kmfqBRE6G6

— WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) December 16, 2025

Meanwhile, Newport News Shipbuilding announced Tuesday that another Virginia-class attack boat under construction at its yard is considered “‘pressure hull complete,’ which signifies all of the hull sections have joined to form a single, watertight unit,” the shipbuilder said in a news release.

USS Oklahoma (SSN-802) is a Block V attack boat. The next Virginia-class submarine, USS Arizona (SSN-803), will feature the Virginia Payload Module, meaning the submarine is longer than the Block IV boats and will have additional missile tubes.

“Achieving pressure hull complete on Oklahoma highlights our commitment to accelerating production and delivering unmatched capability to our Navy customer,” Jason Ward, the vice president of new construction submarines at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding, said in a company statement. “Our dedicated shipbuilders, Navy teammates and suppliers from across the country, are working hand-in-hand to bring Oklahoma to life.”