USS Iowa Submarine Will Be Fifth Navy Vessel Named After Iowa

*Note: The photo above is of the USS Tucson submarine at work in 2010. The USS Iowa is still under construction.

The state of Iowa is getting its 5th all-time member of the U.S. Navy, though only two were ever in service, according to the new submarine's website. The USS Iowa (SSN 797) submarine is currently under construction. It's going to be one amazing vessel. This weekend, five future sailors of the submarine's crew are in Cedar Rapids.

First, let's talk about the USS Iowa. A Virginia Class attack submarine, Iowa's News Now CBS 2 says the submarine is about two-thirds complete. It will also be the first submarine in U.S. history that has quarters for both men and women. You can see what else will be inside the vessel below.

The USS Iowa (SSN 797) will be 377 feet long and 34-feet wide. It will weigh 7,800 tons. That's 15.6 million pounds. The USS Iowa will be able to travel at speeds greater than 28 miles per hour and go to a maximum depth of more than 800 feet. It will have a crew of 132 members, including 15 officers. The USS Iowa will have the ability to detect ships as much as 3,000 miles away and will have a nuclear reactor that will power the submarine for its expected service life of over three decades. The USS Iowa (SSN 797) submarine is expected to have sailors board it for the first time in 2023 when it proudly goes into service.

The only other two USS Iowa vessels to be in service are both battleships. The USS Iowa (BB-4) battleship served the U.S. Navy in the late 1890s. The USS Iowa (BB-61) battleship was in action during World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Gulf War, after being re-commissioned. The ship is now a museum in the Port of Los Angeles.

Thursday, five future members of the USS Iowa (SSN 797) crew arrived in Cedar Rapids. According to a media release from USS Iowa Public Affairs Officer LTJG (Lieutenant Junior Grade) Bryce Dowling, they'll be part of the Freedom Festival Parade in downtown Cedar Rapids beginning Saturday morning at 10. Saturday evening, they're scheduled to be honored at the Cedar Rapids Kernels game. Sunday, they'll be involved in a noon event at the Grout Museum/Sullivan Brothers Museum in Waterloo. Monday, they'll return to Groton, Connecticut.