The US Navy’s new Block IV submarines are particularly dominant in the waters.

In a rare occurrence, two of the US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines are undergoing sea trials simultaneously. Both the USS Idaho (SSN-799) and the USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) are expected to commission with the service in 2026. The future nuclear-powered attack submarines are carrying out a variety of tests, including their systems and components. Additionally, the submarines will submerge for the first time and conduct high-speed maneuvers as part of their trials. Newport News Shipbuilding has been tasked with constructing the two boats from the ground up. According to NNS President Kari Wilkinson, “Our entire team at Newport News Shipbuilding understands the importance of delivering capability to our fleet.” Wilkinson added that “Proving capabilities through this first sea trial for Massachusetts is an important step in demonstrating this and we are honored to support the mission.”

The Navy’s Virginia-class series originated from the Cold War-era Centurion Study, which centered on the production of a next-level submarine platform. The premiere Virginia-class prototype was built in 2001 by Newport News Shipbuilding and the General Dynamics Electric Boat company. To this day, the Virginia-class is built through an arrangement involving these two shipyards, since they are the only shipyards that feature the capacity to build nuclear-powered submarines.

The Virginia-Class Submarine’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 2004
• Number Built: 24 (69 planned)
• Length: 377 ft (115 m)
• Beam (Width): 34 ft (10.4 m)
• Displacement: 7,800 tons
• Engines: S9G nuclear reactor; auxiliary diesel engine
• Top Speed: 25 knots (28.8 mph, 46 km/h)
• Range: Unlimited
• Armaments: 12 VLS tubes, four 21-inch (530mm) torpedo tubes for Mk-48 torpedoes; BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles
• Crew: 135 (15 officers, 120 enlisted)

About the Virginia-Class Block IV Submarine

While all of the Navy’s Virginia-class submarines are capable and formidable, the new Block IV iterations are particularly dominant in the waters. Both USS Idaho and USS Massachusetts are of the Block IV variety, meaning they feature even greater enhancements than earlier classes. From upgraded armament power and redesigned bows, the Block IV Virginia submarines are believed to be unmatched at sea. Idaho, Massachusetts, and their sister ships are equipped with fly-by-wire ship control systems that enable increased shallow-water ship handling. These newer submarines are also designed to deploy special operations forces, including Navy SEALS, with their reconfigurable torpedo room. While much of the boat’s capabilities are classified, according to Naval News, “Block IV submarines (SSNs 792 to 801) incorporate design changes focused on reduced total ownership cost (RTOC). By making these smaller-scale design changes to increase the component-level lifecycle of the submarine, the U.S. Navy will increase the periodicity between depot maintenance availability and increase the number of deployments.”

The greatest improvement incorporated into the Block IV batch is the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). With this add-on in place, these submarines are better equipped to interact with the seafloor and lug more weapons than previous classes. As detailed by The Drive, the new VPM, which will be fitted to the upcoming Block V Virginia-class ships, features a “similar hull plug that stretches 84 feet that would be adapted to the seabed warfare role instead of hauling around cruise, hypersonic, and other missiles.”

In addition to the Block IV block, the Navy’s Block V Virginia-class iteration is similarly lethal. The first Block V boats are expected to reach operational capacity by 2028. As tensions between Beijing and Washington continue to escalate, the introduction of this super-sub variant will further the Navy’s power projection abilities at sea.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.

Image: DVIDS.

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