On Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, the U.S. Navy commissioned the fast-attack submarine Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795) in a customary ceremony.
The USS Rickover is the 22nd Virginia-Class Submarine.
Submarine Readiness Squadron (SRS) 32
Photo by John Narewski
The SSN 795 is the fourth vessel of the Block IV program, which comprises ten boats as part of a multi-year procurement program. These ships embody a Navy and industry commitment to deliver new submarines to the fleet with advantageous stealth and strike capacity.
The boat honors the legacy of U.S. Navy Adm. Hyman G. Rickover, who served in the Navy for 63 years on active duty. Known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” this is the second submarine named after him. The first USS Rickover (SSN 709) was decommissioned in 2007.
U.S. Navy Commanding Officer Matthew Beach remarked, “This is an exciting event that really caps off the work of over almost five years by the Electric Boat and Newport News shipyard.”
The event was attended by several state and federal officials, including Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn.-2nd District.
Senator Blumenthal remarked, “The message today is that the United States needs to be strong so that it can contain conflict like we see in the Middle East and deter adversaries from thinking they can take advantage of turmoil…This submarine is part of that deterrence,”
The Submarine Industrial Base played a vital role in the commissioning of the USS Rickover, and it continues to play a critical role in maintaining dominance in the undersea domain.
Please see related news articles:
DVIDS, Navy commissions USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795), By Lt. j.g. Wallis Lawrence, October 10, 2023
U.S. Department of Defense, Navy to Commission Submarine Hyman G. Rickover, Press Release, October 13, 2023Navel News, U.S. Navy Commissions 22nd Virginia-Class Submarine, Press Release, October 14, 2023