Although the SSN(X) series will elevate US naval capabilities, the Virginia submarines should not be discounted.
The US Navy’s recently proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget has deferred the procurement of the next-generation SSN(X) submarine program to 2040. Intended to serve as the successor to the Virginia-class submarine series, the upcoming program is being designed to incorporate all the latest and greatest new technologies aimed at countering near-peer adversaries like China and Russia. Since the SSN(X) boats will not reach operational capacity in the near future, the Navy will rely on its Virginia-class submarines to maintain superiority out at sea. Last year, the service awarded a more than $1 billion contract for the latest iteration of the Virginia-class. General Dynamics Electric Boat secured the contract for long lead materials for the initial Block VI Virginia submarines.
Referring to the new contract, the president of Electric Boat stated, “This contract modification sends a crucial demand signal, enabling our suppliers to invest in the capacity and materials needed to increase production volume. Consistent funding for the supply base is essential to achieve the high-rate production the Navy requires of the entire submarine enterprise.”
An Overview of the Virginia-class
Incorporating the latest and greatest in terms of stealth, intelligence gathering, and weapons systems technologies, the Navy’s Virginia-class submarines are virtually unparalleled. These attack boats were designed in the early 1990s under the “Centurion Study” program and first took to the seas in the early 2000s. The Virginia-class submarines were intended to represent a cost-friendly alternative to the Navy’s Seawolf-class project, which came with a hefty $2.8 billion price tag. One billion dollars cheaper, the Virginia-class quickly became the winning platform for the service. The Virginia boats are constructed by Newport News Shipbuilding and the General Dynamics Electric Boat company, as they remain the only two shipyards in the country with facilities equipped to build nuclear-powered submarines.
In terms of armament power, the Virginia boats are all fitted with 12 vertical missile launch tubes and four 533mm torpedo tubes. The vertical launching system is capable of firing 16 Tomahawk submarine-launched cruise missiles in one salvo. Additionally, it can launch up to 26 Mk48 ADCAP mod 6 heavyweight torpedoes and sub-harpoon anti-ship missiles. While these weapons’ load is impressive, the most recent Virginia-class iteration can pack an even greater punch. The Block V Virginia submarines will be fitted with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) when introduced. As detailed by The War Zone, the new VPM features a “similar hull plug that stretches 84 feet that would be adapted to the seabed warfare role instead of hauling around cruise, hypersonic, and other missiles.” The Virginia Block VI boats will represent the second contingent in this class to feature VPMs, allowing this block to effectively replace the service’s Ohio-class guided-missile submarines by the end of the decade.
While the eventual introduction of the SSN(X) series will certainly elevate the Navy’s underwater capabilities, the Virginia Block V and Block VI submarines should not be discounted.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: DVIDS.
