USS Washington (SSN 787)

USS WASHINGTON History:

USS WASHINGTON is a VIRGINIA-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the United States Navy, named for the State of Washington and built as the fourth Block III boat with the revised bow and payload-tube arrangement derived from SSGN technology. The construction contract was awarded to Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding, in partnership with General Dynamics Electric Boat, on December 22, 2008, as part of the continuing VIRGINIA-class production program intended to replace aging LOS ANGELES-class submarines and maintain the U.S. undersea force structure into the 21st century.

Physical construction began at Newport News on September 2, 2011, when major module work and hull fabrication formally started. On April 13, 2012, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that SSN 787 would carry the name WASHINGTON and tying the submarine symbolically to the Pacific Northwest. A formal naming ceremony in Seattle on February 7, 2013, brought together Navy officials, state representatives and civic supporters from Washington state, strengthening the connection between the future submarine and its namesake region even before the hull was complete.

The keel-laying ceremony took place at Newport News on November 22, 2014, when the traditional keel plate was authenticated and the sponsor, Elisabeth Mabus - daughter of the Secretary of the Navy - inscribed her initials into the steel. This milestone marked the point at which the boat was formally recognized as USS WASHINGTON in construction records, even though work on sections and systems had been underway for several years. Over the next two years, yards workers integrated reactor plant modules, combat systems, sonar arrays, and the distinctive Block III bow with its pair of large-diameter payload tubes in place of the twelve individual VLS tubes used on earlier VIRGINIA-class boats. On March 5, 2016, WASHINGTON was christened at Newport News Shipbuilding in a ceremony that underscored the close involvement of the Mabus family with the project. During this event the sponsor formally named the ship and broke the ceremonial bottle of sparkling wine across the bow, while the hull - painted in the black non-reflective scheme typical of modern attack submarines - still rested in the yard's assembly facilities.

On April 13, 2016, the hull was rolled out and launched at Newport News, transitioning WASHINGTON from land-based construction to a floating platform ready for fitting-out alongside the yard's piers. Over the rest of 2016 and into early 2017, the yard and Navy teams completed systems integration, weapons handling checks and reactor testing in preparation for sea trials. In March 2017, the submarine went to sea for initial trials off the Virginia capes, exercising propulsion, navigation and combat systems, and demonstrating that the new Block III configuration met performance standards.

After successful trials, HII formally delivered the boat to the U.S. Navy on May 26, 2017. This transfer of custody meant that WASHINGTON was technically in commission, special, with the ship's crew gradually taking over operations from the shipyard workforce and beginning the familiar routine of a new submarine's final workups: additional testing, crew training, and preparation for full fleet service.

USS WASHINGTON was commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk on October 7, 2017, becoming the 14th VIRGINIA-class attack submarine to enter frontline service and the first warship named WASHINGTON since World War II. The commissioning ceremony, held on the Atlantic Fleet's main base, featured Secretary Ray Mabus, officials from the State of Washington, and hundreds of guests. Commander Gabriel Cavazos assumed command as the boat's first commanding officer, leading a crew drawn from across the submarine force. At commissioning, the crew formally adopted the nickname "BLACKFISH", drawing on the orca imagery on the ship's crest and Native American terminology, and their battle cry "Fear the Blackfish" began to appear on banners and informal unit memorabilia.

In the months after commissioning, WASHINGTON fell in under Submarine Squadron Six at Norfolk and spent late 2017 and 2018 in the intense routine of a newly commissioned nuclear attack submarine: post-delivery tests, tactical development, and certification exercises in the western Atlantic, all aimed at bringing the crew and ship to full operational readiness. During this period the boat also served as a high-visibility platform for the wider submarine force. On August 3, 2018, the Navy chose USS WASHINGTON as the venue for the Commander, Submarine Forces change-of-command ceremony, during which Vice Admiral Charles A. Richard relieved Vice Admiral Joseph E. Tofalo as COMSUBFOR, COMSUBLANT and Allied Submarine Command. Holding this major flag-level event aboard the relatively new submarine highlighted both her status within the Atlantic undersea fleet and her close ties to the leadership of the submarine community.

By 2019, with shakedown and initial training complete, WASHINGTON and her crew were preparing to join the pattern of steady forward deployments that characterize the VIRGINIA-class contribution to U.S. global posture. These preparations unfolded against a strategic background in which the U.S. Navy and NATO were refocusing on the North Atlantic and European theater, responding to renewed Russian undersea activity and growing concern for the security of sea lines of communication to Europe. Within that context, USS WASHINGTON was assigned to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility for her first overseas mission.

In the second half of 2019, the submarine left Norfolk on her maiden deployment, heading east across the Atlantic for operations under U.S. European Command and U.S. Sixth Fleet. While specific patrol tracks remain classified, the Navy later described the deployment as executing the Chief of Naval Operations' maritime strategy by supporting national security interests and maritime security operations in European waters. During the cruise, WASHINGTON steamed approximately 45,000 nautical miles and conducted at least two documented liberty port calls: one at Rota, Spain, a key logistics hub at the gateway to the Mediterranean, and another at Faslane, Scotland, home to the United Kingdom's ballistic-missile submarine force on the Clyde. These visits strengthened partnerships with NATO allies while giving the crew limited respite from an otherwise demanding schedule of submerged operations.

On February 11, 2020, USS WASHINGTON returned to Naval Station Norfolk from this maiden deployment to a pier crowded with families and supporters. Navy reporting at the time emphasized the length and intensity of the deployment, the considerable distance covered, and the fact that 29 enlisted sailors and three officers had earned their submarine warfare qualification "dolphins" while underway, underscoring the cruise's importance to individual professional development as well as to national tasking.

Barely a month later, on March 12, 2020, a change-of-command ceremony was held at Norfolk in which Commander Eric Astle relieved Commander Cavazos. The Navy's formal account of the event framed the transition in the context of WASHINGTON's successful maiden deployment: Cavazos handed over a boat and crew that had just demonstrated their ability to execute extended missions in the European theater, including demanding intelligence and security operations. Astle, in turn, took command just as the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect Navy operations, which would color much of his time in charge. Under Commander Astle, WASHINGTON entered a cycle of maintenance, repair and training that included an emergency dry-dock period. In retrospect, this unscheduled yard work, which lasted about five months, became one of the defining features of his command. Details of the defect addressed have not been publicly released, but the episode demonstrates the flexibility of the submarine industrial base and the crew's ability to regain readiness quickly after unexpected maintenance.

In parallel with maintenance and workups, the submarine participated in high-level fleet training. In August 2021, WASHINGTON was one of the submarines taking part in Exercise Agile Player 2021 (AP21), a training event focused on Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) operations and joint war-fighting readiness. Photographs and official captions show sailors from USS WASHINGTON assisting Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic personnel in onloading a UGM-109 Tomahawk at Naval Station Norfolk during the exercise, while sister VIRGINIA-class boats USS NEW HAMPSHIRE (SSN 778) and USS JOHN WARNER (SSN 785) also operated in and out of Norfolk in support of AP21. Agile Player was designed to test rapid load-out, command-and-control and strike readiness, and for WASHINGTON it formed part of the final preparations for another long deployment.

Later in 2021, WASHINGTON again headed east for a second deployment to the European theater, this time one that would become notable for its duration and for operations in the High North. According to the commanding officer's later "Captain's Log", the boat's second deployment lasted 192 days and covered more than 37,000 nautical miles, maintaining an exceptionally high 92 percent operational tempo on station. The cruise took place against the backdrop of mounting tension in Europe that culminated in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, at a moment when NATO and U.S. Sixth Fleet were paying heightened attention to the North Atlantic and Arctic maritime approaches.

Port calls during this second deployment illustrate WASHINGTON's pattern of operations and engagement. The boat visited Haakonsvern, the main base of the Royal Norwegian Navy near Bergen, reflecting close U.S.-Norwegian anti-submarine cooperation in the Norwegian Sea. It also called again at Faslane in Scotland, reinforcing ties to the United Kingdom's submarine community, and at Brest, France, a major French Atlantic naval base. Perhaps most distinctive was WASHINGTON's visit to Tromso in northern Norway. Norwegian and Navy reporting identify the submarine at the Grotsund industrial port near Tromso from January 11, 2022, and open sources indicate she remained there through approximately January 14, making WASHINGTON the first submarine to grant liberty in Norway's northernmost major city. Operating out of Tromso meant working inside the Arctic Circle in winter, with the crew later recalling that the port saw only a few hours of dim twilight each day during their stay.

Crossing the Arctic Circle during this deployment, the crew conducted the traditional "Blue Nose" ceremony recognizing first-time Arctic sailors. The commanding officer later noted that this was the first deployment for 80 of the 178 sailors aboard, placing many of them in that category. Such operations underscored the shift in U.S. submarine focus toward the High North as an area of strategic competition.

USS WASHINGTON returned to Naval Station Norfolk on February 27, 2022, closing out this six-month deployment. Local and Navy reporting emphasized the long period away, the ship's contributions to maritime security, and the nature of the cruise as a European Command deployment with port calls in Norway, Scotland and France. Following her return, the crew enjoyed a period of post-deployment leave and standdown in March, while the boat underwent standard post-deployment maintenance and inspections.

The spring of 2022 also highlighted WASHINGTON's close relationship with Washington-state civic supporters. On March 2022, the crew and local Navy League sponsors presented a series of shipboard awards named for features of the Puget Sound area - such as the Dabob Bay Operations Specialist of the Year and Kitsap Power and Light Maintainer of the Year - honoring outstanding sailors and reinforcing the symbolic home-state bond of a boat based on the opposite coast.

On July 8, 2022, USS WASHINGTON held a change-of-command ceremony at Norfolk in which Commander Clint Christofk relieved Commander Eric Astle. Rear Admiral Brian Davies, then commander of Submarine Group Two, specifically praised Astle for steering the submarine through COVID-19, the emergency dry-dock for repairs, and an unusually compressed period of pre-deployment work that brought WASHINGTON from dry-dock to deployment in just five months. Christofk assumed command with the task of preparing the boat for yet another extended deployment to the European theater. Under Christofk, WASHINGTON continued to refine her readiness through training evolutions and certifications, and in 2023 she deployed once more across the Atlantic. The commanding officer's later account describes an "extended European Command deployment" from May to December 2023, while Navy and Navy League reporting characterize it as a six-month deployment that ultimately saw the boat cover more than 37,000 nautical miles.

During this period, USS WASHINGTON operated in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, again in a European security environment shaped by the ongoing war in Ukraine and heightened attention to Russian naval activity. The Navy has released only limited details about this 2023 deployment, but the available information indicates an unusually demanding series of missions. Service accounts note that WASHINGTON achieved more days on station than any other East Coast deployment on record, suggesting sustained periods of presence in critical operating areas with minimal time spent in transit or in port. The boat also hosted the first chief intelligence specialist in the submarine force to earn "dolphins" and deployed with the largest number of women yet embarked on a fast-attack submarine, including at least one chief petty officer, highlighting wider personnel developments in the submarine community.

Diplomatic engagement during the 2023 cruise centered again on northern Europe. USS WASHINGTON conducted port visits to Faslane, Scotland, and to the Grotsund facilities near Tromso, Norway, with the Navy explicitly linking these calls to the strengthening of diplomatic relationships with key allies. The choice of ports echoed her 2022 pattern and underlined the emphasis on the North Atlantic and Arctic approaches; operating repeatedly from Norwegian and Scottish ports allowed WASHINGTON to sustain missions in nearby contested waters while giving the crew occasional reprieve from continuous submerged patrol.

USS WASHINGTON returned to Norfolk on December 15, 2023, mooring at Naval Station Norfolk just before the holiday period. The homecoming coverage noted the emotional reunion of families and highlighted that 44 enlisted sailors and five officers earned their submarine warfare insignia during the deployment, alongside multiple promotions and reenlistments, reflecting the tempo and significance of the mission set.

After three major deployments in four years, the crew entered a period of standdown and post-deployment maintenance early in 2024. In his September 2024 Captain's Log, Commander Keith Turnbull - by then WASHINGTON's commanding officer - described the boat's activities in the months immediately after the 2023 deployment. He noted that after returning "just before Christmas 2023" the crew took leave and then entered a busy 2024 schedule that included an Operational Reactors Safeguards Examination (ORSE) and various certifications and testing events, confirming the continued safe and reliable operation of the nuclear propulsion plant. At the same time, the crew underwent leadership changes, including the relief of the long-serving chief of the boat and the arrival of a new senior enlisted leader.

In early 2024, the submarine received short-notice orders to surge deploy over the summer. According to Turnbull's narrative, WASHINGTON's surge tasking began in April 2024 and lasted until late June, during which the boat transited three different combatant command areas of responsibility – European, Northern and Southern Commands - ranging from the iceberg zone in the far North to the warm Caribbean Sea.

No precise dates or locations have been publicly released, but the description suggests a mix of Arctic and Atlantic operations, reflecting both the boat's proven experience in the High North and the broader flexibility expected of an attack submarine in a period of global competition. The commanding officer also remarked that during this period a Tom Clancy novel, Act of Defiance, was released featuring BLACKFISH and several of her crew as fictionalized characters, an unusual example of a contemporary attack submarine appearing in popular literature.

After returning from the surge mission in late June 2024, WASHINGTON again entered Norfolk. On July 19, 2024, a change-of-command ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk saw Commander Keith Turnbull relieve Commander Clint Christofk. The event carried additional weight because, during the ceremony, Capt. Timothy Poe presented USS WASHINGTON with the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) on behalf of the President of the United States. The PUC citation recognized USS WASHINGTON for "outstanding performance in action while conducting operations within U.S. Sixth Fleet" during her recent six-month deployment - the 2023 European Command cruise - and stated that the submarine had completed three demanding missions vital to national security that resulted in obtaining sensitive and unique intelligence information.

Navy commentary emphasized that it is the highest U.S. unit award and is rarely bestowed on general-purpose attack submarines. Contemporary reporting pointed out that WASHINGTON was the first such SSN to receive the PUC since the 1970s, underscoring the significance the Navy attached to her classified operations.

In the months after the July 2024 ceremony, WASHINGTON focused on preparing for a major maintenance period while still serving as a showcase for the submarine force. Turnbull's Captain's Log recounts that the submarine hosted tours for former Secretary of the Navy John Dalton, a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force acquisition team, and a U.S. Northern Command commanders' conference attended by senior U.S. and allied flag officers, events that used the boat as a tangible example of current U.S. undersea capability.

As part of the transition to the shipyard, USS WASHINGTON briefly shifted her operating base. On September 16, 2024, the submarine arrived at Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, under the administrative control of Submarine Squadron Two. Imagery from that day shows the boat entering the Thames River and mooring at the base, a temporary stop en route to a longer overhaul. On September 27, 2024, USS WASHINGTON arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, where she was scheduled to undergo a multi-month dry-docking availability for maintenance and system upgrades. The Navy described Portsmouth as the center of excellence for the overhaul, repair and modernization of attack submarines, and local reporting noted that WASHINGTON's arrival followed months of preparatory work by the crew and shipyard staff. In his September 27 log entry, Commander Turnbull wrote that BLACKFISH had "arrived today and will be settling in for a scheduled drydocking availability over the next few months", framing the period in dock as a new mission focused on ensuring the submarine's long-term readiness, with a goal of returning to sea in 2027.

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USS WASHINGTON Image Gallery:

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows PCU WASHINGTON preparing for commissioning at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 4, 2017.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows USS WASHINGTON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on September 21, 2018.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show USS WASHINGTON at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on September 6, 2022.

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