The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) Saturday, March 28, in Boston.

Massachusetts is the 12th Virginia-class submarine delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding and the 25th built as part of a teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat. The submarine was christened at NNS in May 2023.

Sheryl Sandberg, the ship’s sponsor, gave the traditional order to “man our ship and bring her to life.” Her remarks during the ceremony reflected on the Navy’s legacy.

“In three months, our nation will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But as many of you here know, the Navy already celebrated this milestone last October. What does that tell us? It tells us: We don’t have a Navy because we have a country; we have a country because we had a Navy,” Sandberg said.

Among those speaking at the ceremony was NNS President Kari Wilkinson, representing the thousands of NNS shipbuilders who participated in the submarine’s construction.

SSN 798 is the fifth U.S. Navy vessel named after the commonwealth of Massachusetts.