US Navy builds $5.1bn Virginia-class secret spy submarine

The US Navy intends to acquire a new Virginia-class submarine. It will cost $1bn more than other submarines of this type.

Here's What We Know

Work on the new submarine has already begun. Construction of the submarine is underway at General Dynamics Electric Boat's plant in Connecticut. The cost of the next Virginia-class submarine will be $5.1bn.

The US Navy plans to build one Virginia-class submarine, the Mod VA SSW (Modified Virginia, Subsea and Seabed Warfare). The service has requested $5.1 billion from Congress in fiscal year 2024 for the purchase of the submarine.

Unfortunately, we have almost no information about the future submarine. What is known is that some of the vertical launch systems, called VPMs (Via Payload Modules) will be modified to fit new systems. It will also carry underwater drones and remotely piloted vehicles.

The US Navy already has one submarine in service that is used for covert missions. It is called the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23). It is the third submarine built under the Seawolf programme, and the only submarine to be named after an American president. It received an extra section to install new equipment and test new technologies, making it longer than other Seawolf submarines.

The fact that almost nothing is known about the future Virginia-class submarine is not strange. The $4.3 billion USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) has been in the service of the US Navy for nearly 20 years, but its specifications are still classified.

The submarine has a displacement of 10,460-12,158 tonnes and can dive to 610 metres. Its operating depth is 580 metres. The USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is equipped with S6W nuclear reactor with 45,000 horsepower and can carry up to 50 Tomahawk or Harpoon missiles.

Source: Naval News