Virginia class submarine
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The Virginia-class attack submarines (SSN) are the first U.S. subs to be designed for battlespace dominance across a broad spectrum of regional and littoral missions. They complement the Seawolf class's capabilities for open-ocean, blue water missions, and are slated to replace aging Los Angeles class attack submarines, some of which have already been decommissioned.
The Virginias were intended as a cheaper alternative to the $2 billion Seawolfs, whose production run was stopped after just three subs. To reduce costs, the Virginias use many "off-the-shelf" components, especially in their computers and data networks. But thanks in part to an industrial arrangement designed to keep Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding -- the only U.S. shipyards that build nuclear vessels -- in the sub-building business, Virginias cost about $2.6 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The Virginias incorporate several innovations. Instead of periscopes, the subs have a pair of two extendable "photonics masts" outside the pressure hull. Each contains several high-resolution cameras with light-intensification and infrared sensors, an infrared laser rangefinder, and an integrated Electronic Support Measures (ESM) array. Signals from the masts' sensors are transmitted through fiber optic data lines through associated signal processing to the control center.
A preliminary Pentagon budget draft circulated in January 2005 indicated that the Virginia-class submarine program may be deeply cut due to the growing Federal budget deficit.
General characteristics
- Builders: Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding
- Length: (114.91 m) 377 ft
- Beam: (10.36 m) 34 ft
- Displacement: 7,800 tons
- Propulsion: S9G reactor
- Max. diving depth: greater than 800 ft (244 m)
- Speed: 25+ knots
- Planned cost: about US$1.65 billion each (based on FY95 dollars and 30-ship class)
- Actual cost: about $2.6 billion each (as of 2005)
- Crew: 134 officers and enlisted
- Armament: Tomahawk missiles, VLS tubes, Mark 48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes, advanced mobile mines, and unmanned undersea vehicles.
Ships
- USS Virginia (SSN-774), commissioned and in service
- USS Texas (SSN-775), under sea trials; delivery in 2005
- USS Hawaii (SSN-776), under construction; delivery in 2007
- USS North Carolina (SSN-777), named December 11, 2000; delivery in 2006
- USS New Hampshire (SSN-778) has been ordered for delivery in 2010
- USS New Mexico (SSN-779) has been ordered for delivery in 2010
- SSN-780 through SSN-782 are planned to be ordered in 2006 and will complete the first "batch" or "flight" of this class
- SSN-783 through SSN-792 are planned to comprise the second "batch" or "flight"
- SSN-793 through SSN-803 are planned to comprise the third "batch" or "flight" SSN-803 is planned to be ordered in 2014 for delivery in 2020
| Virginia-class submarine |
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Virginia | Texas | Hawaii | North Carolina | New Hampshire | New Mexico |
| List of submarines of the United States Navy List of submarine classes of the United States Navy |