The latest Block V Virginia Class submarine will greatly increase the number of missiles
which can be carried.
The 10 boats will manage to accommodate 28 more torpedo-sized weapons along will the
previous payload of 37.
Viewers may note the U.S Navy is acquiring 10 Virginia Block V submarines for approximately
$24.1 billion.
The Virginia class is built through an industrial arrangement designed to maintain both General
Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Newport News, the only two U.S. shipyards
capable of building nuclear-powered submarines.
The facilities alternate work on the reactor plant as well as the final assembly, test,
outfit, and delivery.
Out of 10, six of the boats would be constructed at Huntington Ingalls Newport News, and four
would be built at Electric Boat.
In this video Defense Updates analyses how Block V Virginia Class submarines of the U.S
Navy will have 75% more firepower?
Let’s get started.
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The Virginia class sometimes referred to as the SSN-774 class, is a class of nuclear-powered
fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy.
Virginia class is designed to replace older Los Angeles-class submarines, many of which
have already been decommissioned.
The Virginia class was intended in part as a less expensive alternative to the Seawolf-class
submarines whose production run was stopped after just three boats had been completed.
The submarines of Virginia class are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral
missions.
Their primary purpose is to take out enemy's surface combatants and submarines and the
secondary task is to execute land-attack missions.
Over the years, the Virginia class has gone through several upgrades.
Block II variant focused mainly on production efficiency.
Block III used improved construction techniques and also got the conformal main sonar array
in place of the traditional spherical array found on earlier U.S. Navy submarines.
The Block IV submarines, many of which are still under construction essentially focused
on reducing cost.
All these variants were essentially the same externally but this changes with Block V.
Block V will see many upgrades, the most important of which is the addition of 4 Virginia Payload
Module or VPM.
An 85-foot or 25 meter section will be added for this.
The addition of the section is expected to increase the length from 377 ft to 460 ft
and displacement from around 7,800 tons to 10,200 tons.
Each of these four VPM will be capable of carrying 7 torpedo-sized weapons like Tomahawks
missiles.
So, each submarine will have an additional capacity of 28 torpedo-sized weapons.
New Virginias will get a capability boost with the introduction of Block V Tomahawks.
As of now, Block V Tomahawks will have 2 variants - Va & Vb.
The Block Va variants will be called Maritime Strike.
It will have a new seeker capable of hitting a moving target.
So, it could be used to target a rival's surface combatants.
The target information in the variant could be updated in flight.
The warhead will be geared towards destroying enemy warships.
Block Vb will feature the JMEWS or Joint Multi-Effects Warhead System.
The new warhead was first announced in 2010 and tested in 2014.
It is a two-stage warhead that combines blast fragmentation and enhanced penetration in
one warhead.
It will be able to destroy a wide variety of targets - soft targets like parked aircraft
well as hardened ones like bunkers.
The VPM will not only increases firepower but also flexibility.
It is likely that going forward the VPMs will be used to accommodate hypersonic weapons
too.
One such endeavor is the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS)
CPS is intended to complement existing American rapid-response forces, such as Forward Deployed
Forces, Air Expeditionary Groups (which can deploy within 48 hours) and carrier battle
groups (which can respond within 96 hours)
It will be an alternative to nuclear weapons for strategic retaliatory strikes for around
30% of targets.
CPS is primarily designed to deploy aboard U.S. Navy submarines and the Block 5 Virginia
class could be the first one to be armed with this weapon.
In 1994, the Nuclear Posture Review study determined that 14 of the 18 Ohio SSBNs of
the U.S. Navy would be sufficient for the strategic needs of nuclear deterrence.
The decision was made to convert four Ohio-class boats into SSGNs capable of conducting a conventional
land attack and special operations.
As a result, the four oldest boats of the class—Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and Georgia—progressively
entered the conversion process in late 2002 and were returned to active service by 2008.
The boats could thereafter carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 66 special operations
personnel, among other capabilities and upgrades.
But these boats will have to be slowly decommissioned and the reduction in land-attack capability
will be taken care of by Block V Virginia class submarines with VPM.
So, Block V Virginia class will be a critical asset for the U.S Navy as it faces resurgent
Russia and the ever-growing Chinese Navy.
Hence, 75% payload capacity improvement is a step in the right direction.