NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Two thousand twenty five is over, but work on what will be a much-needed addition to the U.S. Navy’s fleet is not. The future USS Barb, a Virginia-class attack submarine, is under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding.
A keel laying ceremony was held in December 2025.
“Our extended team of industry and Navy partners, both across the country and right here in the shipyard, will work together to bring this submarine to life and in doing so will establish new levels of respect and understanding of the role that each plays in this incredible process," said Newport News Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson.
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In January 2024, The U.S. Naval Institute reported that for over a decade the Navy hadn’t been able to properly maintain nuclear-powered attack submarines.
The USNI goes on to say, "While the Navy and its industry partners have addressed this growing maintenance problem using legacy tools, SSN operational availability has continued to decline.”
“Our submarines, crewed by the best our nation has to offer, serve as the silent sentinels of our seas providing strategic deterrence, gathering critical intelligence, and projecting naval power across the globe," U.S. Navy RADM Casey Moton said.
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The Barb is the third sub to bear the name and continues a family legacy. The ship’s sponsor, Pamela Bove, is the wife of the grandson of the commander of the first USS Barb.
The sponsor of the second USS Barb was her husband’s grandmother.
“It’s an experience like no other," said Bove.
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She said she and her niece, who is the co-sponsor of the Barb, will send care packages to the ship’s crew, get to know them, and make port visits when they can.
Andrew Khaler, the shipyard welder who was chosen to weld the Bove's initials into keel plate, said it’s an honor.
“The moment was spectacular, really, being able to represent the whole entire shipyard," Khaler said.
As of January 2026, the Barb is expected to take multiple years to complete.
