US Navy Virginia Class Nuclear Attack Submarines

US Navy commissions USS North Dakota (SSN 784), First Block III Virginia Class Submarine

The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest attack submarine USS North Dakota (SSN 784), during a ceremony Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, at Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. USS North Dakota is the first of eight new Virginia Class Block III ships.

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Approximately 20 percent of North Dakota was redesigned as part of the Virginia Cost Reduction work done to lower acquisition cost and increase operational flexibility. The changes include a ship's bow redesign, replacing 12 individual launch tubes with two large-diameter Virginia Payload Tubes, each capable of launching six Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. Image: GDEB

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FORBIN said:

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My table, Commissioning year
View attachment 10415

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Yep...20 to be in service by 2020.

I like the symmetry of that...and the sound of it.

To have 20 of these very modern and capable subs in service, warms my heart...even with some of the issues they have had.

They will all be worked out...is the nature of bringing advanced, complex systems into production and operation.

Brumby said:

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Always watching...always watching.

Or, in this case...always improving.

Also glad to see the new coatings. The Virginia's have had some difficulty with their existing "new" tiles and I bet all of the vessels will end up getting this if it proves effective.

Washington will be the 14th Virginia-class submarine and the seventh to be delivered by Newport News. Construction began in September 2011, marking the beginning of the two-submarines-per-year build plan between Newport News and Electric Boat. The submarine is roughly 70 percent complete and is on track to complete next summer.

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PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN 782) was welcomed to the Pearl Harbor waterfront at an aloha ceremony Nov. 25, as the newest submarine permanently assigned to Submarine Squadron 1 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The arrival of Mississippi makes her the 4th Virginia-class submarine to be home ported in Pearl Harbor, and one of 18 fast-attack submarines permanently homeported at the historic base.
"The general aura of the crew is that of excitement in becoming part of a great ohana (family) in Submarine Squadron 1 and Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet," said Cmdr. Tory Swanson, the ship's commanding officer, a native of Arvada, Colorado, and a graduate of Perdue University. "Many were ready to set forth out west like the old frontiersmen, looking for adventure in the unknown of the Pacific. The crew is looking forward to the sunshine, warmth and aloha of Hawaii."

The submarine arrived at Pearl Harbor to a crowd of families, fellow submariners, veterans and supporters, having left weeks earlier from Submarine Squadron 4 in Groton, Connecticut.

Swanson noted Mississippi and her crew started the transition nearly a year ago with assistance from Naval Submarine Support Command Pearl Harbor, Submarine Squadron 1, and several other organizations in the Pearl Harbor area.
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And 7 homeported in Groton, Connecticut.

SSN(X) US Navy Virginia Class successor

First studies, only for mentioned, then Virginia class stopped with Block VII, the first SSN(X) would be in service in 2044, first FY 2034, USN would like to have torpedoes at this time with a range of 200 nm, actualy 30 for last MK-48.

Re: SSN(X) US Navy Virginia Class successor

FORBIN said:

First studies, only for mentioned, then Virginia class stopped with Block VII, the first SSN(X) would be in service in 2044, first FY 2034, USN would like to have torpedoes at this time with a range of 200 nm, actualy 30 for last MK-48.

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To elaborate:

USS California Returns from Maiden Deployment

rajsking said:

And India started from there - that too decades earlier.
Although not as capable - I found Arihant to be of similar configuration
6000-7000t nuclear powered with torpedoes + Vertical launching tubes. And each VLS can contain multiple missiles.

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Sorry I missed this earlier.

Well, the Arihant is much different than the Virginia class in technologies and in configuration.

1st, the technology is a LOT older. Her nuclear plant is probably not as advanced as those US boats.

2nd, she is not an nuclear attack boat or SSN. For the Indians, the Arihant is a nuclear ballistic missile boat, or SSBN. This is very important for the Indians to have as it gives them a third leg for nuclear deterrence...and India is now one of only five other nations to possess nuclear powered submarines that give them the capability (US, UK, Russia, France, China...and now India).

3rd, the Virginia VLS capability is not for nuclear ballistic missiles. Initially the twelve VLS tubes were located forward in individual tubes for Tomahawk, land attack cruise missiles. Now, as they move along with the various modules, it is true that they house more than one missile, but they are still designed to fire cruise missiles and not nuclear ballistic missiles.

Do not misunderstand me...the Indian's have done a good thing in building the Arihant. They have one and soon will have two. But those submarine capabilities are not at all similar to the Virginia Class SSN. The Arihant is an initial SSBN for the Indians, like the US Navy Ohio Class SSBNs, or the UK's Vanguard Class SSBN, or China's Type 094 Class SSBNs. She is much less capable in terms of numbers of missiles and range of missiles than those boats...but that is her function nonetheless, SSBN.