Boston Harbor has a new heavyweight visitor this week, as the U.S. Navy's newest Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, USS Massachusetts (SSN-798), pulled into town ahead of a high-profile commissioning ceremony at Conley Marine Terminal on Saturday. The nuclear-powered boat wrapped up sea trials and was delivered to the Navy late last year, and this weekend's event will officially bring her into the fleet before she heads to her homeport in Groton, Connecticut.
What the Sub Is and What It Carries
Virginia-class boats run at least 377 feet in length and typically sail with about 145 sailors on board. Their arsenal can include Tomahawk cruise missiles and Mk‑48 torpedoes, according to the U.S. Navy. The class is built to slip between coastal waters and deep ocean, handling missions such as special-operations support along with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance work.
Delivery, Trials and Christening
Builder Huntington Ingalls Industries reports that Massachusetts was formally delivered to the Navy in November 2025 after completing builder sea trials. As detailed by HII, the submarine was christened in May 2023 and then moved through acceptance testing before making this high-visibility stop in Boston.
Ceremony Logistics and Public Access
The commissioning is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Saturday at Conley Marine Terminal in South Boston. Invitations are free but required and are issued only after security screening, according to the USS Massachusetts Commissioning Committee. Local neighborhood notices say guided tours and public access will come with strict security rules and limits on electronics for safety and operational reasons, per Seaport Neighbors.
How to Watch
If you are not heading down to the waterfront, you can still catch the action online. The Navy's DVIDS service lists a live webcast starting at 9:50 a.m. EDT, with the formal commissioning slated for 10:00 a.m. Viewers can find the live feed and an archived recording on the DVIDS webcast platform; see the official stream listing on DVIDS for the link and schedule.
Namesake History and Local Ties
The new Massachusetts is the fifth Navy vessel to carry the state's name, a lineage highlighted by the commissioning committee and naval records. Boston was tagged early on as the commissioning site, and the commonwealth's most famous predecessor, the World War II South Dakota‑class battleship BB‑59, is preserved at Battleship Cove in Fall River. That gives the sub a built-in connection to a long local naval tradition, with background on the choice of Boston previously covered in a piece on Boston selected as commissioning site.
Saturday's commissioning will formally place USS Massachusetts into active service and, after post-ceremony events wrap up, she is expected to sail south to her homeport in Groton, Connecticut. For on-the-ground previews and local reaction, see coverage from WCVB Boston.
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