The Virginia-class, nuclear-powered attack submarine USS New Mexico and its crew of 15 officers and 117 enlisted personnel arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 7 .
While at the shipyard, the New Mexico will undergo scheduled maintenance work and system upgrades. Kittery will play host to the sub’s crew during its stay.
The second naval vessel to be named for the state of New Mexico, the sub made history in 2014, when it became the first Virginia-class submarine to surface at the North Pole. According to the shipyard’s Congressional and Public Affairs Office, the New Mexico is designed to excel in anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare, mine warfare, and more.
The New Mexico returned from its latest deployment on April 26 after executing “maritime strategy in supporting national security interests and maritime security operations” at the U.S. European Command area, according to the office. During the deployment, the sub steamed about 31,000 nautical miles.
The New Mexico’s commanding officer is Cmdr. Daniel Reiss, who assumed command in January 2016.