Virginia-class submarine

Virginia-class SSN profile
USS Virginia underway in July 2004
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Preceded by
Succeeded bySSN(X) class
Cost$2.8 billion per unit (2019); $4.3 billion per unit w/VPM (2023)
Built2000–present
In commission2004–present
Planned66
On order4
Building10
Completed24
Active24
General characteristics
TypeNuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN)
Displacement
  • Submerged:
  • Block I–IV: 7,900 t (8,700 short tons)
  • Block V: 10,200 t (11,200 short tons)
Length
  • 377 ft (115 m)
  • 460 ft (140 m) for Block V
Beam34 ft (10 m)
Propulsion
  • 1 × S9G nuclear reactor 280,000 hp (210 MW)
  • 2 × steam turbines 40,000 shp (30 MW)
  • 1 × single shaft pump-jet propulsor
  • 1 × secondary propulsion motor
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) or over
RangeUnlimited
EnduranceOnly limited by food and maintenance requirements.
Test depthOver 800 ft (240 m)
Complement135 (15 officers; 120 enlisted)
Armament
  • Block I–II:
  • 12 × vertically launched missiles:
  • 25 × torpedo tube launched torpedoes & missiles:
  • Block III–IV:
  • 12 × vertically launched missiles:
    • 2 × Virginia payload tubes, each capable of launching six cruise missiles (12 × Tomahawk BGM-109)
  • 25 × torpedo tube launched torpedoes & missiles:
    • 4 × 21" torpedo tubes for Mk-48 torpedoes or UGM-84 Harpoon missiles
  • Block V-VI:
  • 40 × vertically launched missiles:
    • 4 × Virginia payload modules (VMP), each capable of launching seven cruise missiles (28 × Tomahawk BGM-109 and future guided cruise missiles)
    • 2 × Virginia payload tubes, each capable of launching six cruise missiles (12 × Tomahawk BGM-109)
  • 25 × torpedo tube launched torpedoes & missiles:
    • 4 × 21" torpedo tubes for Mk-48 torpedoes or UGM-84 Harpoon missiles

The Virginia class, or the SSN-774 class, is a class of nuclear-powered attack submarine with cruise missile capability in service with the United States Navy. The class is designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions, including anti-submarine warfare and intelligence gathering operations. They are scheduled to replace older Los Angeles-class attack submarines, many of which have already been decommissioned, as well as four cruise missile submarine variants of the Ohio-class submarines.

Virginia-class submarines will be acquired through 2043, and are expected to remain in service until at least 2060, with later submarines expected to operate into the 2070s.

On 14 March 2023, the trilateral Australian-British-American security pact known as AUKUS announced that the Royal Australian Navy would purchase three Virginia-class submarines as a stopgap measure between the retirement of their conventionally powered Collins-class submarines and the acquisition of the future SSN-AUKUS class submarines. If SSN-AUKUS falls behind schedule, Australia will have the option of purchasing two additional Virginia-class submarines.

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