Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today the successful completion of the initial sea trials Friday of fast-attack submarine Montana (SSN 794). The Virginia-class submarine, built at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, spent several days at sea to test the ship’s systems and components.
Testing included submerging the submarine for the first time and high-speed maneuvers while on the surface and submerged. HII teams will continue the testing program and will deliver the boat to the U.S. Navy later this year.
“We are very proud to say the Montana and her crew performed exceptional, taking the ship to sea for the first time is a huge milestone for everyone involved. The crew, thousands of suppliers from around the country and shipbuilders from HII and Electric Boat can be proud the ship was successfully brought to life and will soon be part of the world’s greatest Navy.”
Jason Ward, Newport News Shipbuilding vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction.
Construction of Montana began in 2015. The boat — the 21st Virginia-class submarine built as part of the teaming partnership with General Dynamics’ Electric Boat — was christened in September 2020.
HII is a global engineering and defense technologies provider. With a 135-year history of trusted partnerships in advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities ranging from the most powerful and survivable naval ships ever built, to unmanned systems, ISR and AI/ML analytics. HII leads the industry in mission-driven solutions that support and enable a networked, all-domain force. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s skilled workforce is 44,000 strong.
