USS New Jersey (SSN-796)
![]() The lead boat of the Virginia class, USS Virginia.
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History | |
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Namesake | State of New Jersey |
Ordered | 28 April 2014[2] |
Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia |
Laid down | 25 March 2019[3] |
Launched | 14 April 2022[1] |
Sponsored by | Susan DiMarco |
Christened | 13 November 2021[4] |
Commissioned | 14 September 2024 |
Motto |
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Status | In active service |
Badge | ![]() |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Virginia-class submarine |
Displacement | 7,800 tons |
Length | 377 ft (115 m) |
Beam | 34 ft (10.4 m) |
Draft | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
Propulsion | S9G reactor auxiliary diesel engine |
Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h) |
Endurance | Can remain submerged for up to 3 months |
Test depth | Greater than 800 ft (244 m) |
Complement |
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Armament |
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New Jersey (SSN-796), a Block IV Virginia-class submarine, is the third United States Navy vessel named for the state of New Jersey. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the name on 25 May 2015, at a ceremony in Jersey City, New Jersey.[5][6][7]

New Jersey's construction reached pressure hull completion in February 2021. The construction milestone signifies that all of the submarine’s hull sections have been joined to form a single, watertight unit. She was christened on 13 November 2021 and launched on 14 April 2022.[1] New Jersey was delivered to the Navy on 25 April 2024[8], and was commissioned on 14 September 2024 at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, New Jersey.[9][10]
New Jersey is the first US Navy attack submarine designed for a mixed-gender crew.[4][a]
Ship’s crest
[edit]New Jersey's crest features the submarine in the foreground with the Iowa-class battleship New Jersey in the background, surmounted by the motto, "Virtute Ignis Pro Libertas". This is a Latin translation of "Firepower for Freedom", which was also the battleship’s motto. On the side is the outline of the State of New Jersey with a portion of the famous painting Washington Crossing the Delaware set inside the borders. The references to Washington's victory at Trenton and to the battleship New Jersey are meant to show that the submarine is the heir to a long tradition. Centered is the faded image of the battleship USS New Jersey (BB62), representing the past, and the submarine USS New Jersey (SSN 796) taking the name and her legacy into the future. The devil horns, tail, and wings on the outside of the crest are a reference to the Jersey Devil, the legendary creature said to inhabit the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
Mixed-gender design
[edit]The New Jersey was designed to accommodate a mixed-gender crew. Some of the design elements include doors to establish separate sleeping and showering compartments, lowering overhead valves, and providing steps for bunk beds and stacked laundry machines.[11]
Notes
[edit]- ^ The first female submariners ever in the US Navy were on ballistic missile submarines, such as USS Wyoming (SSBN-742), in 2011.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Lo spettacolare time lapse del varo del sottomarino nucleare USS New Jersey - video (1 Maggio 2022) /The spectacular time lapse of the launch of the nuclear submarine USS New Jersey - video". rainews.it. 1 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "New Jersey (SSN-796)". nvr.navy.mil. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Huntington Ingalls Industries Authenticates Keel of Virginia-Class Attack Submarine New Jersey (SSN 796)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Virginia-Class Attack Submarine New Jersey (SSN 796) Christened at Newport News Shipbuilding" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Defense.gov News Release: Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus Names Virginia-Class Submarine USS New Jersey". defense.gov. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "US Navy's New Sub to Be Named USS New Jersey". navaltoday.com. 25 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Latest Virginia-Class Submarine Named". maritime-executive.com. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Future USS New Jersey Delivers to U.S. Navy". Naval Sea Systems Command. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ Hutton, Stephen. "Welcome to the USS NEW JERSEY Commissioning Committee Website". USS New Jersey Commissioning Committee. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ "Navy Commissions USS New Jersey (SSN 796)".
- ^ "First coed submarine joins Navy fleet". NBC News. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.