President Biden and his wife Jill Biden attended the commissioning of USS Delaware, a fast attack submarine carrying the name of the state that the President formerly represented as a senator, DOD News reported Saturday.
The ceremony took place the same day in Wilmington, Delaware, in a non-traditional fashion due to COVID-19 restrictions. The vessel remained submerged during the commissioning.
“I’ve seen the heart of this crew and it makes me proud and humbled to be your shipmate for life,” said First Lady Jill Biden, who also serves as the submarine’s ship sponsor.
As a Block III Virginia-class submarine, USS Delaware features a pair of 87-inch diameter launch tubes with the capability of holding larger payloads. The Navy accepted delivery of the submarine from HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division in October 2019.
