The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Idaho (SSN 799) on April 25, 2026, at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, bringing the 26th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine into active service.
Welcome to the fleet! 🎉🎊⚓️🇺🇸
📍GROTON, Conn. —The Navy commissioned the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Idaho (SSN 799) in a traditional ceremony held Saturday, April 25, at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. pic.twitter.com/TJNHA1CLsp
— U.S. Fleet Forces (@USFleetForces) April 25, 2026
The commissioning carries an Idaho connection beyond the vessel’s name. For more than 75 years, the Navy’s Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD) on Lake Pend Oreille in Bayview has tested every acoustic quieting improvement on U.S. submarines, SSN 799’s stealth refinements among them. The reactor design traces to the Idaho National Laboratory near Arco.
Proud to attend the commissioning of #USSIdaho (SSN 799) — a historic day for the @USNavy, the nation, and #Idaho.
The #nuclear navy was born on the @INL Site. We continue to proudly support @USNavyNNPP. This ship carries that enduring legacy.
Honoring the memory of Gov. Dirk… pic.twitter.com/SSPKpQy3xA
— John Wagner (@john_c_wagner) April 26, 2026
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao addressed the ceremony, joining Idaho Governor Brad Little, U.S. Senator James Risch, and Adm. William Houston, Director of Naval Reactors. “We are a maritime nation, bordering on both the Atlantic and the Pacific,” Cao said. “The USS Idaho joins the fleet ready to answer the call to action, in any ocean, at any time.”
Cmdr. Chad J. Guillerault, Idaho’s commanding officer, addressed the ceremony. “The Idaho connection is more than a name, it is a legacy built before us that is being reborn today,” he said.
Ship’s sponsor Teresa Stackley gave the order to “man our ship and bring her to life,” and the crew ran aboard. “When you sail, my heart sails with you,” Stackley said.
Idaho (SSN 799) is the eighth Block IV Virginia-class submarine, co-produced by General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding. The commissioning comes 28 days after USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) entered service, marking the Navy’s second Virginia-class commissioning in less than a month.
Pentagon documents show the Navy has proposed $25.6 billion in submarine investments for fiscal year 2027, covering both the Columbia and Virginia-class programs. Idaho displaces 7,800 tons and stretches 377 feet. Its predecessor, battleship USS Idaho (BB-42), commissioned in 1919, earned seven battle stars in World War II.
