America's Next Sub Will Use Lethal Robots to Hunt Its Enemies

Dave Majumdar

Security, United States

“I’m not just talking about the propeller or propulsor, it’s the whole propulsion system from power generation to motion through the water.”

The United States Navy’s future replacement for the Virginia-class attack submarine could be far stealthier than today’s boats thanks to advances in propulsion technology. Moreover, those new submarines will be able control multiple unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV)—allowing a single next-generation attack boats to cover vast swaths of the ocean by itself.

While the Navy won’t start buying the new SSN(X) until 2034—and the new boat won’t become operational until 2044—the service has already started initial concept developments for the new submarine. One of the Navy’s major focus areas is propulsion, which is critical for ensuring that the new submarine is as quiet possible to defeat evermore-capable sonar.

Though the Navy could adopt a new permanent magnet motor for the SSN(X) similar to the one that will eventually be installed onboard the future Ohio Replacement Program (ORP) ballistic missile submarines, the service is considering more radical technologies. Though a permanent magnet motor dispenses with noise-generating reduction gears and other mechanical parts that are necessary to transmit power from a nuclear submarine’s steam turbines to the propeller, there might be as of yet unexplored technologies that can ensure that the SSN(X) remains stealth for the duration of its service life.

“I’m not just talking about the propeller or propulsor, it’s the whole propulsion system from power generation to motion through the water,” Rear Adm. Michael Jabaley, the Navy’s program executive officer for submarines told the U.S. Naval Institute News on March 3. “How am I going to get beyond the limitations of a rotating set of blades and the unavoidable noise that I just can’t get below? At this point there are no bounds on what I want people to be thinking about.”