asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Chinese SSK, SSN and SSBN are coming along very nicely
09III/09IV (093/094) Nuclear Submarine Thread
- Thread starter SinoSoldier
- Start date
Some time ago on this thread we discussed, briefly, the idea/question of the PLAN adding VLS capability for cruise missiles to its newer nuclear attack submarines, particularly the Type 095.
I thought I would give a little history on how the US came to its VLS capability on its SSNs and SSGNs, and where it is going, in order to help understand what the PLAN might do.
To understand it best, you have to understand how the US Navy got to where it currently is in temrs of this capability.
First, the US Navy began installing vertical launchers on its Flight II Los Angeles class nuclear powered attack submarines, beginning with the USS Providence, SSN-719, which was commissioned in 1985, twenty-nine years ago. Thirty-one Los Angeles class submarines were built with this capability. This same type of capability (meaning twelve individual VLS Cells) has been installed on the initial two blocks (ten submarines) of the Virginia class submrines.
These twelve VLS cells gives these boats the capability to fire up to twelve Submarine Launched Cruise Missiles (SLCMs) at enemy targets
No VLS cells were included on the Sea Wolf submarines. Rather, the Sea Wolf boats have several larger diameter torpedo tubes capable of lunching cruise missile straight out of the tube.
After the later LA Class boats had been completed with the 12 VLS cells, and while the intial Virginia Class boats were having them built into them, the US Navy modified four Ohio Class SSBN nuclear ballistic missile submrines to meet its nculear missile treaty obligations. The four modifed boats became SSGNs, nuclear powered guided missile submarines.
The modification took twenty-two of the twenty-four trident missile silos, and placed an insert into those silos that was capable of firing seven Tomahawk SLCMs each. These inserts are called Multiple All-up Round Cannisters (MACs). Altogethr, with 22 silos converted, this allowed 154 SLCMs fto be carried by each of those four boats. The other two tubes were modified to be lock-in, lock-out chambers for Navy SEALs.
These modules were designed for furture contigencies in mind. So in addition to being able to launch up to seven Tomahawk SLCMs each, they were also designed to accomodate numerous future weapons. These include the next generation of supersonic or hypersonic cruise missiles, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), various sensors and weapons for anti-submarine warfare, various sensors for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, countermine warfare payloads such as the Long Term Mine Reconnaissance System (LMRS), other specialized payload canisters such as the broaching universal buoyant launcher (BUBL) or stealthy affordable capsule system (SACS) or the the ADM-160 MALD decoy system.
The four Ohio SSGN boats are going to be retired sometime in the late 2020s to 2030s. The US wants to replace these SSGN boats, but has decided not to create a seperate class of submarinesto do so. Instead, the US Navy will lengthen the Virginia Class submarines, starting with the block V boats in order to give them space for more SLCMs.
Here's how they plan to do it.
Starting with the current Block III build of the USS North Dakota (which was launched in 2013), the twelve indivdual vertical tubes shown above, or going to be replaced on the bow of the vessel with two special Mulitple All-up Round Cannisters. Each of these MACs will be able to fire six tomahawk SLCMs (insted of the seven on the Ohio SSGNs) and use the same technology employed for the Ohio SSGNs (meaning the ability to launch all the various sytems that the Ohio MAC was designed to accomodate), but updated and altered for the Virginia Class submarines.
All eight Block III Virginia class SSNs, and all nine Block IV vessels will be built with these new Virginia MACs for firing SLCMs and other weapons.
Then, beginning in 2019, with the start of construction of the first Block V Virginia Class submarines, the submarine will undergo a larger modification. Aft of the sail, an approximately 80-100 foot section will be added to the boats during consytruction. This section will be specifically designed to house four new vertical launch missile systems called Virginia Payload Modules (VPMs). Each of these VPMs will hold seven Tomahawk SLCMs (or any of the other types of payloads mentioned for the MAC). The four VPMs will be able to carry up to 28 SLCMs. When added to the 12 SLCMs in the forward MACs, this will total up to 40 SLCMs for each boat.
These subs will then be built in some numbers...up to twenty of them. They will be the replacemnt for the Ohio SSGNs, except they will be hybrid vessels that can perform equally well as either a fully capable nuclear powered attack submarine (SSN), or as a nuclear powered guided missile submarine (SSGN) carrying forty SLCMs each.
This is how the US Navy will get to the Virginia Class VPM, and how it will be used to replace the Ohio SSGNs. By the time the VPM is active in the 2020s, the US Navy will have spent about 40 years getting there.
I thought I would give a little history on how the US came to its VLS capability on its SSNs and SSGNs, and where it is going, in order to help understand what the PLAN might do.
To understand it best, you have to understand how the US Navy got to where it currently is in temrs of this capability.
First, the US Navy began installing vertical launchers on its Flight II Los Angeles class nuclear powered attack submarines, beginning with the USS Providence, SSN-719, which was commissioned in 1985, twenty-nine years ago. Thirty-one Los Angeles class submarines were built with this capability. This same type of capability (meaning twelve individual VLS Cells) has been installed on the initial two blocks (ten submarines) of the Virginia class submrines.
These twelve VLS cells gives these boats the capability to fire up to twelve Submarine Launched Cruise Missiles (SLCMs) at enemy targets
No VLS cells were included on the Sea Wolf submarines. Rather, the Sea Wolf boats have several larger diameter torpedo tubes capable of lunching cruise missile straight out of the tube.
After the later LA Class boats had been completed with the 12 VLS cells, and while the intial Virginia Class boats were having them built into them, the US Navy modified four Ohio Class SSBN nuclear ballistic missile submrines to meet its nculear missile treaty obligations. The four modifed boats became SSGNs, nuclear powered guided missile submarines.
The modification took twenty-two of the twenty-four trident missile silos, and placed an insert into those silos that was capable of firing seven Tomahawk SLCMs each. These inserts are called Multiple All-up Round Cannisters (MACs). Altogethr, with 22 silos converted, this allowed 154 SLCMs fto be carried by each of those four boats. The other two tubes were modified to be lock-in, lock-out chambers for Navy SEALs.
These modules were designed for furture contigencies in mind. So in addition to being able to launch up to seven Tomahawk SLCMs each, they were also designed to accomodate numerous future weapons. These include the next generation of supersonic or hypersonic cruise missiles, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), various sensors and weapons for anti-submarine warfare, various sensors for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, countermine warfare payloads such as the Long Term Mine Reconnaissance System (LMRS), other specialized payload canisters such as the broaching universal buoyant launcher (BUBL) or stealthy affordable capsule system (SACS) or the the ADM-160 MALD decoy system.
The four Ohio SSGN boats are going to be retired sometime in the late 2020s to 2030s. The US wants to replace these SSGN boats, but has decided not to create a seperate class of submarinesto do so. Instead, the US Navy will lengthen the Virginia Class submarines, starting with the block V boats in order to give them space for more SLCMs.
Here's how they plan to do it.
Starting with the current Block III build of the USS North Dakota (which was launched in 2013), the twelve indivdual vertical tubes shown above, or going to be replaced on the bow of the vessel with two special Mulitple All-up Round Cannisters. Each of these MACs will be able to fire six tomahawk SLCMs (insted of the seven on the Ohio SSGNs) and use the same technology employed for the Ohio SSGNs (meaning the ability to launch all the various sytems that the Ohio MAC was designed to accomodate), but updated and altered for the Virginia Class submarines.
All eight Block III Virginia class SSNs, and all nine Block IV vessels will be built with these new Virginia MACs for firing SLCMs and other weapons.
Then, beginning in 2019, with the start of construction of the first Block V Virginia Class submarines, the submarine will undergo a larger modification. Aft of the sail, an approximately 80-100 foot section will be added to the boats during consytruction. This section will be specifically designed to house four new vertical launch missile systems called Virginia Payload Modules (VPMs). Each of these VPMs will hold seven Tomahawk SLCMs (or any of the other types of payloads mentioned for the MAC). The four VPMs will be able to carry up to 28 SLCMs. When added to the 12 SLCMs in the forward MACs, this will total up to 40 SLCMs for each boat.
These subs will then be built in some numbers...up to twenty of them. They will be the replacemnt for the Ohio SSGNs, except they will be hybrid vessels that can perform equally well as either a fully capable nuclear powered attack submarine (SSN), or as a nuclear powered guided missile submarine (SSGN) carrying forty SLCMs each.
This is how the US Navy will get to the Virginia Class VPM, and how it will be used to replace the Ohio SSGNs. By the time the VPM is active in the 2020s, the US Navy will have spent about 40 years getting there.
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3 094's + A 093
where is this port? the mountain in the background looks like northern China.
Geographer
Junior Member
Isn't most of China's coastline mountainous? The Sanya ports are surrounded by hills of the kind in that picture.
the mountains may look like northern china, but the palm trees by the building get it away.
ladioussupp
Junior Member
Cover of recent "Weapon" magazine may disclose what 095 looks like.
Blackstone
Brigadier
Only the southern half of China's 9,000 mile coastline is mountainous, the northern half is relatively flat.
antiterror13
Brigadier
look like SSBN to me, perhaps 096?