The Navy has received the New Jersey, its 23rd Virginia-class fast-attack submarine. Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division delivered the sub, the company announced in a news release Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Ashley Cowan/Newport News Shipbuilding)

The Navy has received the New Jersey, its 23rd Virginia-class fast-attack submarine.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division delivered the sub, the company announced in a news release Thursday. It is the 11th Virginia-class submarine delivered by NNS and the 23rd built as part of the Navy’s teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat.

“It is a proud day for our entire team when we deliver a high-quality submarine like New Jersey to the fleet,” said Jason Ward, NNS vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction, in the release. “The mission ahead for New Jersey and her crew is clear, and we applaud our shipbuilders for delivering this critical capability to the fleet, while maintaining our highest standards of safety and quality.”

More than 10,000 shipbuilders from NNS and Electric Boat worked to construct the New Jersey, alongside thousands of suppliers across the country, including more than 100 in New Jersey, the release said.

New Jersey was christened in November 2021 at NNS by ship sponsor Susan DiMarco, a New Jersey resident, retired dentist and wife of former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. The submarine completed its first set of sea trials — including submerging for the first time and conducting high-speed maneuvers on the surface and below — in February, and is expected to be commissioned later this year.

Virginia-class submarines, a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines, are built for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions to replace the Navy’s Los Angeles-class submarines as they are retired. Virginia-class submarines incorporate innovations that increase firepower, maneuverability and stealth. They are capable of supporting multiple mission areas and can operate at speeds of more than 25 knots for months at a time.

New Jersey is the first Virginia-class submarine designed and built with modifications for crew gender integration. Planned modifications included the obvious — more doors and washrooms to create separate sleeping and bathing areas — and the more subtle: lowering some overhead valves and making them easier to turn, and installing steps in front of the triple-high bunk beds and stacked laundry machines.

Before construction of New Jersey, the Navy retrofitted existing subs with extra doors and designated washrooms.

As of October 2023, 609 women were assigned to operational submarines — serving as officers and sailors on 18 nuclear-powered ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines and 14 nuclear-powered attack boats, according a report from the U.S. Naval Institute.

The long-term plan is that by 2030, 33 submarine crews will have female officers and 14 crews will have female enlisted sailors. All classes of submarines will be integrated with female officers.

Designs for the next ballistic-missile sub, the Columbia class, will rely on body measurements for men and women. The first Columbia-class sub is scheduled to join the fleet in 2031.