The USS New Jersey is the first Virginia-class submarine designed and built for a full gender integrated crew.

A submarine designed to fully integrate male and female sailors, is due to be commissioned on September 14.

A submarine designed and built for both genders has been a long time coming.

The New Jersey is entering the fleet roughly 14 years after then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates ended the ban on women serving on subs in 2010.

Female officers did not join the submarine force until 2011, and such roles only opened up to enlisted sailors in 2015.

A commissioning ceremony for the Virginia-class submarine will occur in Leonardo, New Jersey, according to the Navy.

Female trailblazers in the submarine community include Lt. Cmdr. Amber Cowan, who became the first woman to serve as the executive officer of a submarine in 2022 aboard the ballistic missile submarine Kentucky.

Master Chief Information Systems Technician (Submarine) Angela Koogler also became the first woman to serve as a chief of the boat, the senior enlisted adviser to the commanding and executive officers, aboard the nuclear ballistic missile submarine Louisiana that same year.

Plans are underway to expand the number of submarine vessels with women crews.

The submarines are being adapted by Electric Boat. The company redesigned the internal layout of the submarine. All modern submarines were designed exclusively for male crews.

Therefore, some elements, including bypass valves, are designed for male strength; it can be difficult for women to turn them. In addition, showers and living quarters were also designed for men only.

According to Electric Boat, in addition to the obvious increase in the number of showers on the boat, the organization of separate heads (toilets) and sleeping quarters, the company intended to change some other elements. In particular, most of the controls that are located high up will be moved lower.