News release:
USS IDAHO Commissioning Date is set for April 25, 2026
The USS IDAHO Commissioning Committee is pleased to inform Idahoans that the future USS IDAHO will be officially commissioned into the U.S. Navy fleet on April 25, 2026 at 11 a.m. (EDT) / 9 a.m. (MDT) at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.
The commissioning of the future USS IDAHO is the culmination of years of effort and the coordination of many official U.S. agencies, private industry, and the many corporations and private individuals who have supported her construction, christening and now the commissioning event. The USS IDAHO Commissioning Committee is proud to have played a role in connecting Idahoans with the USS IDAHO through our outreach efforts throughout the state, and with fundraising that will provide a connection to the submarine’s officers and sailors with many onboard displays from around our state. Our fundraising efforts will also provide a perpetual scholarship fund for sailors wishing to reach their education goals.
The future USS IDAHO SSN 799 is a leading-edge Virginia Class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine being built by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut. She was christened in March 2024, and will be commissioned into the Navy fleet on April 25, 2026. Much of the advanced acoustic stealth technology came from the U.S. Navy’s premier Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD) in Bayview, Idaho on Lake Pend Oreille. ARD is home to the largest unmanned submarine in the world.
She will follow in the tradition of the four previous ships named USS IDAHO, the most recent being Battleship 42, which was commissioned in 1919. She served with distinction in the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and was present in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the formal surrender by the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945.
Modern nuclear technology, developed at the Idaho National Laboratory, will allow the submarine to conduct its mission for 35 years before it needs to be refueled. The USS IDAHO Commissioning Committee is proud and honored that the engine room will be named for the Honorable Dirk Kempthorne, whose long list of public service accomplishments includes his leadership as chairman of the USS IDAHO Commissioning Advisory Board.
Here is a list of the successful completion of milestones for the future USS IDAHO:
– Received its official name in August 2015
– Keel laying: August 24, 2020
– Christening: March 16, 2024
– Launched: August 6, 2024
– Galley Grand Opening: August 21, 2025
– Completion of Alpha Sea Trials: November 2025
– Delivery to the U.S. Navy: December 2025
– Commissioning into the U.S. Navy Fleet is scheduled for April 25, 2026
Additional information:
– Newsrooms may access and use photos of the future USS IDAHO SSN 799 and a video clip of former Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne at: https://tinyurl.com/46kykjx
– A press release from Senator Jim Risch’s office on the naming of the future USS IDAHO Engine Room after Former Governor Kempthorne can be found at: https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=F43E204E-A7C6-48B4-B8B8-7766E6EA5455
– Additional information on the commissioning and a link to an online form to request tickets to the commissioning can be found at the USS IDAHO Commissioning Committee website at https://ussidahocommittee.org/