The Virginia-class is a class of nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines built for the U.S. Navy under a teaming partnership between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding. As of the Navy's July 29, 2026 contract announcement, the program spans six construction blocks, with Block VI boats newly under contract and the most recent Block IV submarine, USS Massachusetts (SSN-798), cleared for fleet tasking on August 17, 2026, according to the Navy and USNI News.
What Is the Virginia-Class Submarine?
The Virginia-class is the Navy's current class of nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines, designed to replace the retiring Los Angeles-class boats with a mix of anti-submarine, anti-surface, strike, intelligence-gathering, and special-warfare support missions. The class is built jointly by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding, with Electric Boat constructing the central hull barrel that contains the reactor and Newport News building the bow, stern, and other modules, according to USNI News' July 29, 2026 report on the program's latest contract.
Individual boats are built in successive construction "blocks," each incorporating design changes from the one before it. As of the July 29, 2026 award, the Navy has contracted through Block VI, with Block V boats nearing completion and Block IV submarines, including USS Massachusetts, already delivered to the fleet.
How Many Virginia-Class Submarines Has the Navy Delivered?
USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) was the 25th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine delivered to the Navy, arriving from Newport News Shipbuilding on November 21, 2025, according to USNI News' report on the delivery. It is also the seventh submarine built to the Block IV design and the fifth Navy vessel to carry the name Massachusetts, USNI News reported following the boat's March 2026 commissioning.
How Does a Virginia-Class Boat Move From Contract to Fleet Tasking?
USS Massachusetts' path through the program illustrates the documented sequence a Virginia-class submarine follows, as reported by the Navy and USNI News:
- Construction is divided between the two partner shipyards, with General Dynamics Electric Boat building the reactor-containing central barrel and Newport News Shipbuilding building the bow and stern modules, per USNI News' July 29, 2026 report.
- Delivery to the Navy occurred on November 21, 2025, when Newport News Shipbuilding turned the completed boat over to the service, according to USNI News.
- Commissioning followed on March 28, 2026, in a ceremony at Boston Harbor, with former Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg serving as the boat's sponsor and Adm. William Houston, head of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, in attendance, USNI News reported.
- Shakedown trials tested the submarine's material condition and combat readiness after commissioning, per the Navy's August 17, 2026 statement.
- Post-shakedown availability, a standard maintenance period following shakedown, was waived by the Navy for USS Massachusetts because of the boat's performance during trials, the service announced August 17, 2026.
- Fleet tasking became available immediately once the post-shakedown period was waived, per the same Navy statement.
Why Did the Navy Waive USS Massachusetts' Post-Shakedown Availability?
The Navy waived the standard post-shakedown availability period for USS Massachusetts because the submarine's material condition and combat readiness following shakedown trials were assessed as exceptional, according to the service's August 17, 2026 statement. The decision moves the boat directly to operational tasking rather than into a maintenance yard period, while freeing shipbuilding and repair resources for other submarines under construction, the Navy said.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said the submarine "is ready to fight, and that is exactly where we need her," per the Navy's statement. Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher, director of submarine programs, said getting the boat "into the fight" helps the Navy "continue to maintain an absolute advantage," and Vice Adm. Rick Seif, commander of Submarine Forces, said the decision "will immediately add combat readiness and capacity" to the fleet, the Navy reported.
What Is the Navy's Latest Virginia-Class Contract?
On July 29, 2026, the Navy awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries a combined $76.6 billion contract modification covering nine Block VI Virginia-class submarines plus long-lead material for a tenth, valued at $42.1 billion, alongside five Columbia-class Build II ballistic-missile submarines valued at $29.5 billion and $5 billion earmarked for shipbuilding workforce investment, according to USNI News.
The award followed roughly three years of delay tied to disputes over missile indemnification and pandemic-era wage increases for shipyard workers, USNI News reported. The Block VI boats represent the program's second generation equipped with the Virginia Payload Module, an additional hull section that expands the submarine's capacity to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles, per USNI News' account of the award. Gaucher called the award "a historic investment" underscoring "the Department's continued commitment to undersea superiority and the recapitalization of our nuclear triad," while General Dynamics Electric Boat president Mark Rayha said the contract modifications provide "the demand certainty we need to continue investing in capacity," USNI News reported.
Earlier in the program, the Navy awarded contracts for the final two Block V submarines in April 2025 after roughly two years of negotiation, according to USNI News' March 30, 2026 report on the Massachusetts commissioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which two shipyards build Virginia-class submarines?
General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding jointly build every Virginia-class boat under a teaming agreement, with Electric Boat constructing the reactor-containing central hull barrel and Newport News building the bow and stern modules, according to USNI News' July 29, 2026 report.
What is the Virginia Payload Module?
The Virginia Payload Module is an added hull section built into later Virginia-class blocks that increases the submarine's capacity to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles. USNI News described the Block VI boats under the Navy's July 29, 2026 contract as the program's second generation equipped with the module.
When was USS Massachusetts commissioned?
USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) was commissioned March 28, 2026, in a ceremony at Boston Harbor, with Sheryl Sandberg serving as sponsor, according to USNI News' March 30, 2026 report on the ceremony.
Why did the Navy waive USS Massachusetts' post-shakedown maintenance period?
The Navy said the submarine's exceptional material condition and combat readiness following shakedown trials justified skipping the standard post-shakedown maintenance period, allowing the boat to move directly to fleet tasking, according to the Navy's August 17, 2026 statement.
How many Block VI Virginia-class submarines are under contract?
The Navy's July 29, 2026 contract award covers nine Block VI Virginia-class submarines plus long-lead material for a tenth boat, valued at $42.1 billion of the total $76.6 billion award, according to USNI News.
For a related shipbuilding perspective, read How A Navy Warship Moves From Keel To Commissioning.
For more context, read Guide: The Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer Fleet, As of 2024.