Newest Nuclear Sub Arrives For The US Navy With A Historic WW2 Namesake
The United States Navy has the largest nuclear submarine fleet on the planet and added a new one to the inventory. This new fifth generation submarine is an incredible machine and has earned its name. One of the largest and best ships of World War II. On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Navy took possession of USS Idaho (SSN-799). The ship was named to honor the battleship USS Idaho (BB-42), which first entered service in 1919 and was awarded seven battle stars during World War II.
New Idaho is the 26th Virginia class boat. The ship is the US Navy’s fifth ship to bear the name “Idaho”. The first of these was a wooden steam sloop converted into a fully rigged sailing ship, entering service in 1866. The second was BB-24, a Mississippi-class battleship. During World War I, the motorboat SP-545 also bore this name, before “Idaho” was transferred to a New Mexico-class battleship of World War II. This battleship was known as “The Big Spud”. for the state’s most famous crop.
It is common for the US Navy to reuse ship names in honor of historic ships. The best-known example is probably the USS Enterprise, because there are nine ships so named, three of which are aircraft carriers. The new USS Idaho will undergo a series of sea trials before its official commissioning, which will likely occur in the spring of 2026. Meanwhile, private submariners will get to know the boat, which is expected to help strengthen the country’s submarine warfare capabilities.
Read more: The World’s 10 Largest Navies Ranked by Total Naval Assets, According to Self-Reports
Latest Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine
USS Virginia (SSN 774) on ocean surface – General Dynamics Electric Boat/US Navy/Wikimedia Commons
USS Idaho (SSN-799) is one of the most advanced nuclear submarines in the world. Virginia-class submarines were designed as attack platforms capable of launching cruise missiles. They are mainly used for anti-submarine warfare and intelligence gathering, and can operate in blue water oceans and coastal coastal areas. The class is gradually replacing the cruise missile version of the Ohio class and other nuclear submarines of the Los Angeles class.
As of this writing, three Virginia-class boats are allocated to the Royal Australian Navy, with the remainder remaining with the US Navy. The USS Idaho is 377 feet long, displacing 10,200 tons of seawater while submerged. The boat uses an S9G reactor along with an auxiliary diesel engine and has a maximum speed of approximately 49 mph. Like other ships of its class, Idaho will accommodate 128 enlisted personnel and 17 officers.
Because the boat is nuclear-powered, it has an almost unlimited range and will likely remain in service for at least 40 years. In terms of armament, USS Idaho has two Virginia Payload Tubes and four additional payload tubes capable of firing the BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile. Additionally, it has four 21-inch torpedo tubes for firing the US Navy’s MK-48 heavy torpedo.
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