Cmdr. Thomas Digan, commanding officer of PCU Arizona (SSN 8030 is piped ashore following the PCU Arizona (SSN 803) establishment of command ceremony that was held at Historic Ship Nautilus (SSN 571) in Groton, Conn. on Friday, October 27, 2023. When completed Arizona will be the 30th Virginia class fast attack submarine and will be the first to be equipped with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). When commissioned Arizona will join the ranks of Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) TWELVE based out of Groton, Conn.
U.S. Navy Photo by John Narewski
The nuclear submarine soon to be commissioned as the U-S-S Arizona has its first commander. U.S. Navy Commander Thomas Digan is a career submariner with tours on three other nuclear submarines.
The ship is still under construction in Rhode Island and will be the third Navy ship named after the state of Arizona, and the first since the World War II battleship that was sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The first USS Arizona was a merchant steamship seized by the Navy in 1862.
The Arizona will be a Virginia class submarine which means it will carry torpedos and Tomahawk cruise missiles which will be launched out of verticle tubes. When it is operational, the new USS Arizona will have a crew of 135.
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