The already formidable U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarine is getting a major upgrade in the new Block V variant that will spike firepower by 76 percent, making them the most heavily armed attack submarines in U.S. Navy history.
The Virginia-class submarines, although conceived as a cost-effective counterpart to the larger Seawolf class, stand today as a world-leading nuclear power attack platform. The newest Block V submarines will incorporate a new weapons module called the Virginia Payload Module. The VPM adds 84 feet of hull to the submarine, which houses four new vertical launch tubes. Each will be able to carry seven Tomahawk cruise missiles, increasing the total from 12 to 40 cruise missiles on each submarine.
The Block V submarines will also be fitted with the new Block V Tomahawk missiles that provide an anti-ship capability to their current land-attack mode. The submarines are also planned to use new hypersonic boost-glide vehicles, a factor that might increase their strike capabilities manyfold. There are a total of six vertical launch system tubes in these submarines; thus, they can carry one mixed load of 12 hypersonic missiles and 12 Tomahawks.
The Block V submarines will feature the Large Vertical Array flank sonars, in addition to the six ultra-modern Light Weight Wide Aperture Arrays along the side of the submarine. These modifications will make sure to secure acoustic superiority for the Block V submarines over near-peer threats like Russia and China.
The U.S. Navy plans to buy a total of 72 to 78 new attack submarines, ten of which will make up the Virginia Block V boats. Eight of these will feature the dramatically increased firepower described in this story. As of a January 2022 briefing document, the Congressional Research Service reported that 31 Virginia-class submarines would eventually be fitted with these upgrades.
Advanced technologies shall further be integrated into Block V submarines to increase their operational flexibility and survivability. These include the new Hammerhead mine, which will replace the legacy Mk.47 submarine-launched mobile mine, along with a new Clandestine Delivered Mine that merges technologies from underwater drones with regular bottom mines.
However, the building process of such high-tech submarines has not been without its problems. According to a GAO report published recently, U.S. Navy shipbuilders may not have adequate workers to complete the Virginia-class program in addition to the construction of the new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. Delays could occur, taking an average of two additional years for the construction of each Block V boat.
The Block V Virginia-class submarines bring a quantum leap in undersea warfare capabilities to the table. Equipped with advanced sonar systems, increased firepower, and new technologies, these submarines will continue to help the U.S. Navy stay ahead of the competition in the undersea domain for decades to come.