USS ''Indiana'' (SSN-789) is a nuclear powered

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

attack submarine An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants and merchant vessels. In the Soviet and Russian navies they were and are called "mul ...

, named for the

State of Indiana State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

. She is the sixteenth of her class and sixth of the significantly redesigned Block III, including a revised bow and VLS technology from the of

guided missile submarine A cruise missile submarine is a submarine that carries and launches cruise missiles (SLCMs and anti-ship missiles) as its primary armament. Missiles greatly enhance a vessel's ability to attack surface combatants and strike land targets, and alt ...

s. ''Indiana'' was constructed by

Huntington Ingalls Industries HII (formerly Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.) is the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States as well as a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. HII, ranked No. 371 on the Fortune 500, w ...

in partnership with the

Electric Boat An electric boat is a powered watercraft driven by electric motors, which are powered by either on-board battery packs, solar panels or generators. While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail pow ...

division of

General Dynamics General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Uni ...

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

, with the initial contract awarded on 22 December 2008. Her keel was laid on 16 May 2015 and she was launched on 9 June 2017. The boat was christened on 29 April 2017 and sponsored by Diane Donald, wife of

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Kirkland H. Donald Kirkland Hogue "Kirk" Donald (born September 15, 1953) is a retired Admiral (United States), Admiral in the United States Navy, who in his last assignment served as the Naval Reactors, dual-hatted position of Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion an ...

, USN (ret). She was commissioned on 29 September 2018 at Port Canaveral, Florida.

Crest

The gold torch and stars are symbols from the State Flag of Indiana. The torch represents liberty and enlightenment; the rays surrounding the torch represent their far-reaching influence. The stars in a circle surrounding the torch signify each state to join the Union before Indiana, which was the 19th state. Two

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

s, silhouetted above "SSN 789", represent and , the ships that previously bore the ''Indiana'' namesake. Three gears and a head of wheat on either side of "SSN 789" represent the agriculture and industry native to the state of Indiana. The stylized "USS INDIANA" banner and the finish line racing flag pay tribute to the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...

and the

Indy Car INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...

racing heritage of the State of Indiana. Silver and gold dolphins on either side of the head of wheat and gears represent the technical prowess of the enlisted and officer submarine community. The crest is encompassed by a gold outline of the state of Indiana.

References

* Virginia-class submarines Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy Ships built in Groton, Connecticut 2017 ships {{US-submarine-stub