The Los Angeles-class and Virginia-class boats play a significant role in the Navy’s sea-based strategy.
Representing America’s sea-based arm of its nuclear triad policy, the US Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines is feared across the globe. While all of the service’s submarines are impressive, its fleet of ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) is specifically lethal. In addition to the military’s intercontinental ballistic missiles and long-range bombers, the Navy’s SSBNs help ensure a survivable nuclear second-strike capability. As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the South China Sea continue to ramp up, deterrence will play a larger role in maintaining a semblance of peace in the world. The Los Angeles-class and Virginia-class boats are playing a particularly significant role in the Navy’s sea-based strategy.
The Los Angeles-class
The Navy’s existing Los Angeles-class submarines will remain the cornerstone of the service’s underwater fleet until their replacements are ready. As a product of the Cold War, the Los Angeles series of fast attack subs was intended to directly counter the Soviet Union’s then-advancing naval fleet. The Los Angeles platform was specifically designed to better protect American carrier battle groups out at sea. In terms of armament power, the Los Angeles submarines are top-tier. Each vessel in this class is equipped to carry a dozen Vertical Launch System tubes for firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and Mark 48 heavy torpedoes. As a nuclear-powered platform, the Los Angeles submarines are able to remain out at sea for longer stretches than preceding classes. The more recent Los Angeles vessels that have been introduced are designated as “Improved 688s.” As detailed by Military.com, these submarines are quieter, incorporate an advanced combat system, and are configured for under-ice operations, meaning their diving planes were moved from the sail to the bow, and the sail was strengthened for breaking through ice.
The Virginia-class
While the Virginia-class platform first reached operational capacity nearly a quarter of a century ago, these unmatched vessels are expected to remain in service until at least 2060. Based on the Centurion Study in the early 1990s, the Virginia vessels were the first submarines ever built for the US Navy using 3D visualization technology. The Virginia boats were designed to represent a more cost-effective alternative to the service’s Seawolf-class series. Like the Los Angeles subs, the Virginia vessels can pack a punch. Featuring one dozen vertical missile launch tubes and four torpedo tubes, these submarines can unleash a formidable array of weapons. The newer Block III variants feature enhanced sonar systems and other technological upgrades. Today, 20-plus Virginia-class submarines are in service, with more on the way. The newest Block V batch of submarines in this class will feature the Virginia Payload Module when introduced. This 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,” according to The War Zone.
Although the Los Angeles and Virginia-class submarines are impressive in their own right, the Navy also operates other unmatched submarine platforms. Notably, the Ohio-class boats are the largest nuclear submarines ever constructed for the US Navy.
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.
