(Groton, CT) – A Christening Ceremony for the nuclear submarine SSN Iowa has been announced. The ceremony will be held June 17, 2023, beginning at 9-a.m., at the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. This vessel will be the fourth U.S. NAVY ship named after the State of Iowa, however with the 3 prior being battleships, the first submarine to bear the state’s name. When commissioned, SSN 797 will also be the first attack class submarine built specifically to accommodate both male and female service members onboard.

The Iowa is a Virginia-class submarine, also known as the VA-class or 774-class, a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the U.S. Navy. The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions. They were conceived as a less expensive alternative to the Seawolf-class attack submarines, designed during the Cold War era, and are replacing older Los Angeles-class submarines, 29 of which have already been decommissioned.

USS Iowa SSN797 awaits christening in a Groton, CT dry dock (click to enlarge the image)