Officials commissioned the USS New Jersey — the U.S. Navy’s newest attack submarine — during a ceremony in Monmouth County Saturday morning, which officially integrates the submarine into the naval fleet.

Dozens of elected officials, sailors and residents attended the commissioning at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown.

The U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, and U.S. Rep Frank Pallone, D- 6th District, were among the speakers at the commissioning, as well as Gov. Phil Murphy.

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“With this ceremony, we are not only commissioning the third warship to ever bear New Jersey’s name, we are also celebrating and honoring every member of the crew who will soon bring this remarkable boat to life through their valor and service to our nation,” Murphy said.

The USS New Jersey is the first fully gender-integrated submarine built for both male and female sailors, the U.S. Navy said.

The submarine has more doors and washrooms to create separate sleeping and bathing areas, but it also has more subtle design features, reported Stars and Stripes, a military publication. Features include lowering some overhead valves and installing steps in front of the triple-high bunk beds, the outlet reported.

The submarine arrived in New Jersey last week. It passed Sandy Hook and docked at the bay side of Naval Weapons Station Earle on Sept. 6, local officials said.

“Middletown is honored to host the commissioning ceremony of the USS New Jersey,” Middletown Mayor Tony Perry previously said.

“As one of America’s oldest towns, we have witnessed so much history and to be able to host the officers, crew and families as well as the thousands of veterans and people from across the State and nation, we are marking another incredible moment in Middletown’s and Naval history,” he previously said.

The PCU-796 Virginia-class submarine will be the third naval vessel named after the state of New Jersey, according to the website. It is part of a class of nuclear-powered, cruise missile fast-attack submarines currently in military service for the U.S. Navy, officials said.

The submarine was built by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding. It had been under construction since 2016.

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Brianna Kudisch may be reached at [email protected].

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