The Virginia class (or SSN-774 class) of attack submarines are the first U.S. subs to be designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions around the world. They were designed as a cheaper alternative to the Cold War era Seawolf-class attack submarines, and are slated to replace aging Los Angeles class subs, thirteen of which have already been decommissioned. Download high resolution version (2000x1600, 401 KB)USS Virginia File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see Submarine (disambiguation). ... SSN is the United States Navy Hull classification symbol for a general-purpose fast attack submarine. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... USS Seawolf (SSN-575) The Seawolf class attack submarine (SSN) was the intended successor to the Los Angeles class, ordered at the end of the Cold War in 1989. ... For other uses, see Submarine (disambiguation). ... A littoral is the region near the shoreline of a body of fresh or salt water. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... USS Seawolf (SSN-575) The Seawolf class attack submarine (SSN) was the intended successor to the Los Angeles class, ordered at the end of the Cold War in 1989. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Los Angeles class submarines The Los Angeles class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet, and is the most numerous class of nuclear powered submarine in the world. ...

Innovations

The Virginias incorporate several innovations. Instead of periscopes, the subs have a pair of extendable "photonics masts"[1] outside the pressure hull. Each contains several high-resolution cameras with light-intensification and infrared sensors, an infrared laser rangefinder, and an integrated Electronic Support Measures (ESM) array. Signals from the masts' sensors are transmitted through fiber optic data lines through signal processors to the control center. They also make use of pump-jet propulsors for quieter operations. Principle of the periscope. ... Fiber Optic strands An optical fiber in American English or fibre in British English is a transparent thin fiber for transmitting light. ... Categories: Marine propulsion | Stub ...

Construction and Controversy

The Virginias were intended, in part, as a slightly cheaper ($1.8 vs $2 billion) alternative to the Seawolf class, whose production run was stopped after just three vessels. To reduce costs, the Virginias use many "off-the-shelf" components, especially in their computers and data networks. In practice they actually cost about $2.3 billion (in fiscal year 2005 dollars) each, due in part to the lack of an economy of scale^{[citation needed]}. USS Seawolf (SSN-575) The Seawolf class attack submarine (SSN) was the intended successor to the Los Angeles class, ordered at the end of the Cold War in 1989. ... In economics, returns to scale and economies of scale are related terms that describe what happens as the scale of production increases. ...

In hearings before both House of Representatives and Senate committees, the Congressional Research Service and expert witnesses testified that the current procurement plans of the Virginia class–one per year at present, accelerating to two per year beginning in 2012–resulted in high unit costs and (according to some of the witnesses and some of the committee chairmen[2]) an insufficient number of attack submarines. In a March 10, 2005 statement[3] to the House Armed Services Committee, Ronald O'Rourke of the CRS testified that, assuming the production rate remains as planned, "production economies of scale for submarines would continue to remain limited or poor." Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... The Congressional Research Service is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Virginia class is built through an industrial arrangement designed to keep both GD Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Newport News (the only U.S. shipyards capable of building nuclear vessels) in the submarine-building business^{[citation needed]}. Under the present arrangement, the Newport News facility builds the stern, habitability & machinery spaces, torpedo room, sail and bow, while Electric Boat builds the engine room and control room. The facilities alternate work on the reactor plant as well as the final assembly, test, outfit and delivery. Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics Corporation, is a major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. ... The newly constructed USS Birmingham is launched from the Newport News yards in 1942 Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN), formerly called Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company (NNS&DD or simply NNS), is the largest privately owned shipyard in the United States and the only one that can build Nimitz...

O'Rourke wrote [4] in 2004 that, "Compared to a one-yard strategy, approaches involving two yards may be more expensive but offer potential offsetting benefits." Among the claims of "offsetting benefits" that O'Rourke attributes to supporters of a two-facility construction arrangement is that it "would permit the United States to continue building submarines at one yard even if the other yard is rendered incapable of building submarines permanently or for a sustained period of time by a catastrophic event of some kind", including an attack.

Campaign to honor the USS Monitor

The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable is mounting a grassroots campaign to persuade the United States Congress and the Navy to name a submarine of the Virginia class after the notable American Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, which dueled the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia in 1862. There has not been a warship named Monitor on the Navy List since September 1st, 1961. The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable is a nonprofit historical society and social group dedicated to the study and discussion of the Civil War (1861–1865). ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy. ... CSS Virginia was an ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War (built using the remains of the scuttled USS Merrimack). ... The Naval Vessel Register (NVR), official inventory of ships and service craft in custody or titled by the United States Navy, traces its origin back to the 1880s. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Technical information

Rollout of the USS Virginia (SSN-774)

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3000x1330, 1155 KB) Source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3000x1330, 1155 KB) Source: http://www. ...

General characteristics

• Builders: GD Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Newport News
• Length: 377 ft (114.91 m)
• Beam: 34 ft (10.36 m)
• Displacement: 7,800 tons
• Payload: 40 weapons, special operations forces, unmanned undersea vehicles, Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS)
• Propulsion: S9G reactor
• Max. diving depth: greater than 800 ft (255 m)
• Speed: 25+ knots^[1]
• Planned cost: about US$1.65 billion each (based on FY95 dollars, 30-ship class and two ship/year build-rate, which has not yet been authorized)
• Actual cost: about $2.3 billion each (as of 2005)
• Crew: 120 enlisted and 14 officers
• Armament: UGM-109 Tactical Tomahawk, VLS tubes, Mark 48 torpedoes (ADCAP), four torpedo tubes, and is advanced mobile mine capable.

Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics Corporation, is a major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. ... The newly constructed USS Birmingham is launched from the Newport News yards in 1942 Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN), formerly called Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company (NNS&DD or simply NNS), is the largest privately owned shipyard in the United States and the only one that can build Nimitz... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) is a midget submarine operated by the United States Navy and SOCOM, designed to provide stealthy submerged transportation for special forces, primarily U.S. Navy SEALs, from the decks of nuclear submarines. ... This is the designation for a American naval nuclear reactor for submarines, the ninth in the series, designed and built by General Electric. ... The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. ... The IRIS-T SL vertical launching system The VLS cells on board USS San Jacinto. ... Testing of the Mark 48: The Australian Collins-class submarine, HMAS Farncomb, fired a Mark 48 torpedo at the 28-year-old destroyer escort Torrens. ... The torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ... Polish wz. ...

Ships

Block I

• USS Virginia (SSN-774), commissioned and in service
• USS Texas (SSN-775), commissioned and in service
• USS Hawaii (SSN-776), commissioned and in service
• North Carolina (SSN-777), named December 11, 2000; scheduled delivery in 2007^[1]; this is the last ship of the First Block or "Flight".

USS Virginia (SSN-774) is a United States Navy attack submarine, the lead ship of her class and the tenth ship of that Navy to be named for the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... USS Texas (SSN-775) is a Virginia-class submarine, and the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of The Lone Star State. ... USS Hawaii (SSN-776), a Virginia-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 50th state. ... USS North Carolina (SSN-777), a Virginia-class submarine, will be the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 12th state. ... is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ...

Block II

• New Hampshire (SSN-778) has been ordered for delivery in 2008^[1]
• New Mexico (SSN-779) has been ordered for delivery in 2011
• California (SSN-780) was ordered in 2005 and is expected to be delivered in April, 2011
• SSN-781 was ordered in 2006 and is expected to be delivered in 2013
• SSN-782 was ordered in 2006 and is expected to be delivered in 2013^[2]
• SSN-783 is expected to be ordered in 2008; this is the last ship of the Second Block or "Flight".

USS New Hampshire (SSN-778), a Virginia-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ninth state. ... PCU New Mexico (SSN-779), a Virginia-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 47th state. ... For other ships going by the same name, see USS California. ...

Block III

• SSN-784 through approximately SSN-791 are planned to make up the Third Block or "Flight" and should begin construction in 2009.

This is a list of submarines of the United States Navy, listed both by hull number and by name. ... Submarines of the United States Navy are built in classes, using a single design for a number of boats. ...

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} The US Navy -- Fact File. Retrieved on 2007-07-05.
2. ^ General Dynamics press release, December 28, 2006.

v • d • e Current & future SSN classes
Rubis; Barracuda • Victor III, Sierra I & II, Akula; Graney • Los Angeles, Seawolf, Virginia • Swiftsure, Trafalgar; Astute • Type 091, Type 093