The newest Virginia-class attack submarine, USS Colorado (SSN 788), will be commissioned at Naval Submarine Base New London on March 17, 2018, the US Navy said.
USS Colorado is the 15th Virginia-class attack submarine to join the fleet and the fifth of overall eight Block III submarines.
Block III submarines incorporate two tubes with twelve missiles instead of twelve separate missile tubes their sister ships had. They also feature a revised bow.
Delivered to the US Navy in September 2017, the fast-attack submarine is equipped with non-penetrating digital camera periscopes called Photonics Masts. Normally, submarines are built with two classic style periscopes.
The Technical Insertion called TI-14, and Advanced Processing Build APB-13, allows the Photonics Masts the option to be controlled with wired video game controllers. Though others have tested prototypes, Colorado is the first submarine operating from the start with the gaming controllers, according to the navy.
USS Colorado is the fourth ship to bear the name of Colorado.