United States Navy transfers command of Delaware-namesake nuclear sub. What it means

Damon C. Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK
Updated ·2 min read

The United States Navy has transferred the command of the First State's namesake nuclear-powered submarine.

Here are the details of the transfer of command for the USS Delaware.

What is a change of command?

A change of command is a naval ceremony that honors an outgoing commanding officer and welcomes the incoming commanding officer.

In the case of the USS Delaware, Cmdr. Robert Low turned over command of the USS Delaware to Cmdr. Jason Patton. The ceremony occurred on Thursday, July 11, at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Navy.

"Commander Low built an incredible team that has constantly excelled. His leadership ensured that Delaware remained a deployable, lethal asset that was always ready to answer the nation's call,” said Capt. Phillip Castellano, commander of the Submarine Squadron, during his remarks which were included in the Navy's press release. “The safety of this country relies on our Navy and the submarine force is one of the most crucial assets of our military.

"It is because of submarines like Delaware that I remain confident in our nation's ability to keep foreign aggressors at bay.”

Low took command of Delaware in August 2022.

What is the USS Delaware?

Commissioned in August 2020, the USS Delaware is a Virginia-class fast attack submarine and is the seventh naval ship to be named after the First State.

The USS Delaware is also the first naval ship to be commissioned while underwater.

"The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions," read the United States Navy's USS Delaware website. "They were conceived as a less expensive alternative to the Seawolf-class attack submarines, designed during the Cold War era, and are replacing older Los Angeles-class submarines, 29 of which have already been decommissioned."

USS Delaware is assigned to Submarine Squadron 12, and, according to the United States Navy's press release, has a crew of more than 130, is more than 377 feet long and can displace nearly 7,900 tons.

Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic region.

This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Navy transfers command of nuclear sub USS Delaware. What does it mean?