PCU Montana is the 21st Virginia Class submarine co-produced by General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) through a long-standing teaming agreement. Montana is the tenth Virginia Class delivered by HII-NNS and the third Block IV configured submarine.

“The delivery of this ship reflects an enormous effort across the Navy and Industry shipbuilding teams,” said CAPT Todd Weeks, the Virginia Class Program Manager who rode the boat during sea trials. “This is an exciting time for the program, Montana’s crew and the Navy. This is the second Virginia Class submarine to deliver in less than a month and it is in excellent condition. Continued deliveries of attack submarines are critical to the Fleet and our National Maritime Strategy.”

Virginia Class Submarines are built to operate in the world's littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations forces support; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Their inherent stealth, endurance, mobility and firepower directly enable them to support five of the six maritime strategy core capabilities - sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.

The submarine's sponsor is Ms. Sally Jewell, former Secretary of the United States Department of Interior.

Montana is the second U.S. Navy ship to honor the state. The first USS Montana (ACR-13), an armored cruiser, was also built at Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned July 1908. She served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, landed Marines during unrest in Haiti in 1914 and escorted convoys during World War I. She was decommissioned in 1921. Two other battleships (BB 51 and 67) were to have been named Montana however, were cancelled in 1922 and 1943 respectively.”