Groton – Command of the USS Indiana (SSN 789) fast-attack submarine was transferred Friday to a veteran naval officer with three sub tours under his belt.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Kyle McVay, a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, succeeded Cmdr. Scott Bresnahan as the Virginia-class submarine’s newest commander during a ceremony at the Naval Submarine Base, according to a press release.

McVay, a Virginia native, called the Indiana a “top-notch ship, squared away in all respects and ready for action,” after praising its crew as an “exceptional group of sailors, chiefs and officers,” the release stated.

McVay undertook submarine tours aboard the USS Georgia (SSGN 729), USS Charlotte (SSN 766) and the USS Mississippi (SSN 782) before being given command of the Indiana.

Bresnahan was lauded by Capt. Thomas O’Donnell, commander of Submarine Squadron 12, as a “consummate professional” and “model submarine commander.”

Bresnahan, who led the 2018-commissioned Indiana during several operations, including Operation Black Widow in 2021, will continue to serve on the staff of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Undersea Warfare Division 97 in Washington, D.C.

“I have been lucky to be a part of this Hoosier family as it has served as the cornerstone of every success we've seen,” Bresnahan said during the change-over ceremony. “Indiana’s ownership at all levels is a result of committing to each other and the unquestionable desire to improve as a team.”

j.penney@theday.com