Navy Secretary announces nuclear-powered attack sub will be named USS Miami
MIAMI – United States Secretary of Navy Carlos Del Toro announced Tuesday during the city’s inaugural Fleet Week that a future Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine SSN 811 will be named the USS Miami.
According to the release, the submarine will honor the city and the crews of three previous Navy vessels bearing its name. The namesake vessels were a gunboat from 1862-1865, a light cruiser from 1942-1947, and a nuclear-powered submarine from 1990-2014.
A Cuban-American, Del Toro was named the 78th Secretary of the Navy in August 2021.
“That shared history is what makes Miami one of the greatest cities on Earth—and emblematic of what makes this country the greatest country in the world,” Del Toro said. “Miami is a shining example of what happens when a city welcomes all who come seeking a better life.”
Specifically, attack submarines are “designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships.” The submarine also is used to project power ashore with Tomahawk cruise missiles and Special Operation Forces.
The submarine also is used to carry out Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions, support battle group operations, and engage in mine warfare.
Through its history, the first Miami engaged Confederate enemy forces in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1862. Two years later, the Gunboat’s crew supported Union Troops and battled the Albemarle, a Confederate ironclad, in Plymouth, North Carolina.
During World War II, the second Miami operated at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The cruiser served as part of Admiral William F. Halsey’s Third Fleet and helped sink the Japanese destroyer Nowaki in October 1944.
The second Miami earned six battle stars for operations in the Marianas, Western Caroline Islands, Leytle Gulf, Luzon, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Two seaplane pilots from the cruiser also earned the Distinguished Flying Cross after rescuing airmen in enemy waters.
Recently, the third Miami conducted cruise missile strikes during Operation Desert Fox in 1998 and Operation Allied Force in 1999.
As part of the ceremony, Del Toro announced eight-time Grammy Award winner and Miami Beach resident Gloria Estefan will sponsor the submarine. Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Estefan is known for hit songs such as “1-2-3” and “Turn the Beat Around”, among others.
“We are so thankful as citizens of this great country to have all of you out there protecting and serving all of us,” Estefan said to 1,500 Sailors and Marines at the kickoff concert.
Over time, Greater Miami and the United States Navy have partnered historically. The region was home to a seaplane base from 1918-1920, a naval reserve air base from 1931-1942, and a naval air station from 1940-1958. Miami-Dade County also has stationed the United States Southern Command since 1997.
