USS Iowa (SSN-797), the 24th submarine of the Virginia-class, was commissioned at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, on Saturday. The 7,800-ton nuclear attack boat is at least the fifth ship named for the state in American naval service, and follows in the steps of two battleships that saw service in the World Wars and Korea. The last Iowa was BB-61, the lead hull in the four-ship World War II Iowa-class.
Ordered in 2014, laid down in 2019, christened in 2023 and delivered to the Navy in 2024, the submarine is the latest from the Virginia-class and the 13th built by General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII Newport News to join the fleet.
Naval officials from AUKUS partners Australia and the United Kingdom also attended the commissioning. The Royal Australian Navy is slated to receive three used Block IV Virginia-class submarines between 2032 and 2035 in the Pilar 1 effort as a stop-gap measure until the SSN-AUKUS, a new class of nuclear attack boat, comes online.
Source: USNI News, April 6, 2025
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friarmusings 
Have you ever wanted to take a tour on one of these new warships and have a chance to speak with crew members to see what’s changed in the last 50 years????
Congratulations!
Here is my Grandfathers boat from WW1, Submarine N-7, a harbor patrol sub, as most of the early US submarines were. Built by Lake Torpedo Boat, or Bridgeport CT.
Dan Sullivan
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