GROTON, Conn.- After spending nearly 200 days underwater, the USS Delaware is back on dry land.
The Navy submarine, named after the First State, returned to its homeport in Connecticut on July 5 following a six-month deployment in European waters.
Led by Cmdr. Jason Patton, the crew traveled more than 42,000 nautical miles and even made a port stop in Norway. The deployment also included a Navy first — launching and recovering an underwater drone from a torpedo tube while overseas.
Patton praised the crew for their dedication and thanked families back home for keeping things going during the long time apart.
Fifty-four sailors earned their submarine warfare pins during the mission, and two crew members became new dads while deployed.
The USS Delaware was commissioned in 2020 and is the seventh U.S. Navy ship to carry the state's name. At 377 feet long, the sub is built for a wide range of missions, from surveillance to special operations.