The Virginia-class attack submarines (SSN) are the first U.S. submarines to be designed for battlespace dominance across a broad spectrum of regional and littoral missions. They complement the Seawolf class submarine's capabilities for open-ocean, blue water missions.
General Characteristics
- Builders: Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding
- Length: (114.91 meters) 377 feet
- Beam: (10.36 meters) 34 feet
- Displacement: 7,800 tons
- Propulsion: S9G reactor
- Speed: 25+ knots
- Cost: about US$1.65 billion each (based on FY95 dollars and 30-ship class)
- Crew: 134 Officers and Enlisted
- Armament: Tomahawk missiles, VLS tubes, MK-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes, advanced mobile mines, and unmanned undersea vehicles.
Ships
- USS Virginia (SSN-774), under sea trials; delivery in 2004
- USS Texas (SSN-775), under sea trials; delivery in 2005
- USS Hawaii (SSN-776), under construction; delivery in 2007
- USS North Carolina (SSN-777), named December 11, 2000; delivery in 2006
- USS New Hampshire (SSN-778) and SSN-779 have been ordered for delivery in 2010
- SSN-780 through SSN-782 are planned to be ordered in 2006 and will complete the first "batch" or "flight" of this class
- SSN-783 through SSN-792 are planned to comprise the second "batch" or "flight"
- SSN-793 through SSN-783 are planned to comprise the third "batch" or "flight" SSN-783 is planned to be ordered in 2014 for delivery in 2020