Virginia-class submarine Iowa (SSN 797) was christened Saturday, June 17, at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut.

During the ceremony, Ship’s Sponsor Christie Vilsack, an Iowa native and former first lady of the state, performed the traditional honor of breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine across the submarine’s bow during the ceremony.

Like all Virginia-class submarines, Iowa was built by shipbuilders at Newport News Shipbuilding and Electric Boat. In his remarks during the ceremony, Bryan Caccavale, vice president of Navy Programs at NNS, spoke about the pride shipbuilders take in delivering quality submarines.

“Achieving milestones like the one we celebrate today are no easy feat. But as shipbuilders, easy isn’t something we expect,” he said. “We take on the most challenging projects because what we do matters to our nation. We believe the mission starts with us, and it is our duty to build and deliver the most capable ships in the world to the United States Navy.”

Iowa is the 24th Virginia-class submarine and the fourth U.S. Navy vessel named for the Hawkeye State.