The Navy finally launched its first fully gender-integrated submarine on Saturday, some 14 years after female sailors were allowed to serve on the vessels.
The sub, called the USS New Jersey, is a Virginia-class boat; the newest type of class that means the vessel is designed for a wide variety of naval engagement, including anti-submarine warfare and intelligence gathering. The commissioning ceremony took place in the state it was named for, with an event held in Middletown, New Jersey, over the weekend.
The ban on women staffing subs was lifted in 2010 by then Defense Secretary Robert Gates (who served under Democratic President Barack Obama), and the first female officers joined the submarine force the following year.
Since then, the Navy Times has noted that several trailblazers have risen to positions of prominence, such as Lt. Cmdr. Amber Cowan, who became the first woman to serve as the executive officer of a submarine aboard the ballistic missile submarine Kentucky in 2022, and Master Chief Information Systems Technician (Submarine) Angela Koogler who became the first woman to serve as a ‘chief of the boat’ aboard the nuclear ballistic missile submarine Louisiana that same year.
Horacio Villalobos Corbis via Getty Images
But despite such achievements, the Navy’s subs had all been designed for a male-only crew, with female sailors forced to make do with the existing facilities and living arrangements on board.
Now, the USS New Jersey has been built for a fully gender-integrated crew. For example, washrooms and sleeping dorms have been designed with more doors to increase sailors’ privacy in those areas, according to military news outlet Stars and Stripes.
While access to other areas of the sub has also been improved to make the practicalities of life on board easier for both genders; there are now steps to allow submariners to reach the top bunks or stacked washing machines, while some overhead valves have been positioned lower and made a little easier to turn.
All U.S. submarines will be designed for a fully integrated crew going forward.
The New Jersey’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Steve Halle, described the commissioning “a truly historic moment.” He added: “Our superior professionalism is enhanced by our crew integration and our diversity. We have exceeded expectations at every turn and overcome every obstacle set before us.”
Susan DiMarco, the wife of former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, was the ship’s sponsor; a female civilian who launches the boat to bestow good luck upon it. At the ceremony, she gave the traditional order to the submariners: “Man our ship and bring her to life!” The sailors responded, “Aye aye, ma’am,” before ceremonially running aboard the sub.
U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten
The media was invited on board to view the boat during the launch celebrations, with reports describing how the interior was decorated with Jersey-themed items in honor of the sub’s name. Walls featured posters from Rutgers University, New Jersey Devils memorabilia, and even a guitar donated by rock singer Jon Bon Jovi.
The state-of-the-art submarine was designed to perform in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare, the Navy revealed. It is 377 feet long and is capable of diving to depths greater than 800 feet as well as reaching speeds of 25 knots. Almost 135 Navy personnel will serve as its crew.
In October 2023, Lieutenant Commanders Andrea Howard and Emma McCarthy wrote an article for the U.S. Naval Institute about their experiences serving as female submariners. Describing their first postings, the authors said: “Despite resumes and training that mirrored our [male] peers, the crew was keenly aware of the ‘Sex: F’ in our personnel records.” They described how they occasionally needed to be creative when it came to “adjusting to periscopes and equipment designed for the average-height American men (although being short on a submarine is typically beneficial).”
Describing what improvements could be made in the future, the pair said treating women with kid gloves on board “results in unacceptably ‘othering’ the female members of the crew and perpetuating stereotypes.” However, women crew members are “different, but equal,” they added, arguing that some adaptations would have to be made. For example the boat’s medics “must understand and provide resources to support women’s health, including access to medication and hygienic disposal of feminine products.”
The authors added: “The dilemma in integrating women on board submarines is when to address the reality of their differences and when not to. The ultimate goal is to acknowledge and leverage the diversity of the team while upholding the traditional ethos and pride in wearing submarine dolphins.”
Today, more than 700 women are currently assigned to submarines, and in 2023, the Navy had 69 subs and announced plans to increase the number of submarines with coed crews from 30 to 40.
Newsweek has reached out by email to the Navy seeking further information and comment about the USS New Jersey.