The U.S. Navy’s first coed submarine has been commissioned and is ready for service in the fleet, the Navy announced on Saturday.
“USS New Jersey (SSN 796) is now commissioned and ready for service!” the Navy said in a post on X. “The Navy’s latest Virginia-class submarine joins the fleet.”
USS New Jersey is the “first fully integrated submarine built for both male and female sailors” in the 100-year history of submarines, according to the video posted by the Navy.
“It is an honor that we are the first to have this slice of that particular narrative,” one woman who appears to be a member of the Navy said in the video.
It’s “a testament to the strength that diversity brings to our Navy,” the voiceover in the video said.
Men and women will operate the sub “side by side” for the first time, “united in purpose, skill and determination,” the voiceover proclaimed.
The video noted that the addition of the USS New Jersey to the Navy fleet is “a symbol of progress” that is “breaking barriers as it protects our shores.”
“New Jersey is representative of the future of the submarine force and integrating this boat is a long time coming,” the woman in the video said.
“This is really the first time that the Navy is truly planning for the future regarding manning and taking advantage of the entire population for finding those rare humans that can be and should be submariners,” a second woman in the video, who also appears to be in the Navy, said.
Modifications aboard the ship included more doors and washrooms to install separated sleeping and bathing areas for the coed crew, Stars and Stripes, an outlet that provides news for U.S. military members, reported.
Other modifications include lowering overhead valves and making them easier to turn, and installing steps in front of triple-high bunk beds and stacked laundry machines.
The changes to the ship’s design were made to accommodate the growing number of women who join the Navy as submariners, Stars and Stripes reported. According to the outlet, The Navy has seen the number of female officers double and enlisted sailors in the submarine force triple in the last five years.
Currently there are in excess of 60,000 enlisted women serving in the U.S. Navy, according to Women in the Navy.com. As of August, 730 women were assigned to operational submarines, Stars and Stripes reported.
The submarine was commissioned during a Saturday morning ceremony at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown Township, New Jersey, according to the Department of Defense.
It is the third Naval ship named for the state, according to the DoD. The first was a 1906 battleship that was part of the Great White Fleet during World War I. The second, also a battleship, was commissioned in 1943 and was used in World War II as well as the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.
The name of the USS New Jersey, a “nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine,” was first announced in May 2015, the DoD said. It was finally delivered on April 25.
“The future of Naval warfare starts here, and it’s more inclusive, stronger and more capable than ever,” the Navy video said.
