Bottom "Virginia": catch up and overtake?
A single Virginia Block V submarine will be unlike any other submarine in its class, with its distinctive capability being to perform highly specialized reconnaissance and sabotage missions on the seabed.
The US Navy has confirmed that one of the two Virginia-class Block V submarines without the new payload module will have a unique configuration for bottom warfare.
It seems the US is seriously considering a program to "catch up and surpass" Russia and China, including in the area of turbulence at the very bottom. Apparently, the Belgorod and Khabarovsk have forced them to seriously consider several issues, the main one being whether Russia has the Poseidon or not.
If not, building four carriers of who-knows-what seems like sheer nonsense. A single submarine would have been enough to intimidate and maintain the legend, but besides the Belgorod, there's definitely the Khabarovsk, and the Orenburg is under construction, and any sane person would agree that's a bit much for a show-off.
So, Russia does have something like that, the only question is what and how to respond to it.
The US Navy has announced that future extended-length Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) equipped with Virginia Payload Modules (VPMs) will be reclassified as guided missile submarines (GMS). rockets (SSGN).
The service also announced that the two Virginia Block V submarines would not be equipped with VPMs and four large vertical launch tubes, but only one, as previously assumed.
Now the navy fleet directly confirmed that one of the submarines without VPM will have a unique configuration for seabed warfare. This will allow the submarine to perform seabed spy missions, a role currently performed by the USS Jimmy Carter, a sub-variant of the Seawolf-class attack submarine.
In its press release, the US Navy announced plans to acquire 19 Virginia-class attack submarines with VPM systems in the Block V and Block VI subclasses. A quick calculation reveals a discrepancy of one submarine compared to the publicly announced procurement plans.
It was already known that the first of the 12 Block V submarines, the future USS Oklahoma, would not have a VPM system, but it was expected that the remaining 11 would. Currently, the Block VI production series will consist of nine more submarines, all with VPM. And here, many naval experts have speculated that the "out of commission" could be the seabed warfare submarine, the basic plans for which emerged several years ago.
A rendering of a Virginia-class Block V submarine launching missiles from the payload module (VPM) launchers aft of the conning tower, as well as from launchers in the bow. The vertical launchers in the bow are inherited from earlier versions of the Virginia-class.
Nineteen submarines with payload modules will be reclassified as multi-purpose submarines, and two Block V multi-purpose submarines will be built without payload modules,
"A Navy spokesman said when asked for clarification.The later Block V submarine will not be equipped with VPM and will be a Subsea and Seabed Warfare (SSW) platform.
The Navy has declined to name the specific Virginia-class Block V submarine that will be converted for bottom-warfare operations. Earlier media reports suggest it will not be the future USS Oklahoma (also known by its hull number SSN-802). It is also known that the second Virginia-class Block V submarine, the future USS Arizona (SSGN-803), will be the first to be equipped with VPM. That's another negative.
Thus, one of the next 10 planned Virginia-class Block V submarines will become the bottom-warfare version. All of these future boats (hulls 804 through 813) have already been officially named: USS Barb, USS Tang, USS Wahoo, USS Silversides, USS John H. Dalton, USS Long Island, USS San Francisco, USS Miami, USS Baltimore, and USS Atlanta. This is a rather original mix of city names (cruisers were previously named after cities), states (battleships), and underwater inhabitants.
The Virginia-class Block II submarine USS Minnesota, shown here, is an example of both the older design and the U.S. Navy's tradition of naming new submarines after states.
As noted, the Navy previously announced plans to acquire a unique Virginia-class submarine configured for seabed warfare, but has yet to provide any specific details. General Dynamics Electric Boat has previously shared additional information. It is one of two prime contractors involved in the production of the Virginia-class submarines, along with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)'s Newport News Shipbuilding division.
However, it is not surprising: they are silent, which means there is something to talk about.
Our Virginia-class submarine program evolves over time to meet new missions. We take the existing hull form and modify it to incorporate new weapons, sensors, and improved stealth capabilities.
"We're talking about a new generation of electric boats," said Kevin Graney, then president of General Dynamics Electric Boat, during a presentation at the 2022 Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) summit. 
"One of the most significant design changes we've implemented recently and continue to implement is the Virginia Payload Module, which will provide enhanced strike capabilities... It's essentially an 84-foot section of the hull that houses four additional launch tubes."
"We're developing... a seabed warfare variant, and that ship is designed to interact with the seabed," Graney said during his 2022 presentation. "In that design, some of those missile silos that I mentioned in the VPM design will be used to perform those missions."
"We're developing... a seabed warfare variant, and that ship is designed to interact with the seabed," Graney said during his 2022 presentation. "In that design, some of those missile silos that I mentioned in the VPM design will be used to perform those missions."
At this year's presentations, a variant of the submarine designed for bottom-based warfare was unveiled. The design features a pronounced additional bulge under the center of the hull, in the same area where the VPM will be installed on other Block V submarines.
This is entirely consistent with the modifications made to the USS Jimmy Carter. The submarine's main difference from the other two Seawolf-class submarines is the addition of a 30-meter hull extension, known as the Multi-Mission Platform (MMP).
According to previously published information, the MMP is capable of launching and recovering remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and other specialized assets. Additionally, it has a reconfigurable control room, storage facilities, and other specialized equipment.
The submarine is also equipped with auxiliary thrusters and other unique features that help it descend to the seafloor or otherwise maintain its underwater position. Overall, the Jimmy Carter's unique capabilities are believed to be optimized for clandestine and secret underwater missions, including inspection, manipulation, and even recovery of objects of interest from the deep ocean floor.
Official infographic highlighting the unique modifications of the USS Jimmy Carter
Beyond the repurposing of the VPM space, it's unknown what other modifications the Virginia-class submarine's bottom-warfare version might receive. The Seawolf-class submarines are considered to have particularly good deep-diving capabilities, even compared to later Virginia-class submarines.
All three Seawolf-class submarines—the Seawolf itself and the Connecticut—remain highly sought after due to the advanced capabilities built into their design. The continued importance of these submarines is underscored by the U.S. Navy's ongoing efforts to return the Connecticut to service after it sustained significant damage to its bow in a collision with a seamount in the South China Sea in 2021.
The Seawolf-class submarine USS Connecticut at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 2023, with significant damage to her bow clearly visible.
The ocean floor has long been a critical yet challenging area for underwater operations, particularly when it comes to cutting or damaging critical fiber-optic communication cables and destroying pipelines. The ability to explore or even recover objects of interest from the seabed has been and remains a crucial element of so-called Foreign Material Exploitation (FME) operations, but pipeline countermeasures, as well as operations against data cables, are likely to become the primary mission for such submersibles.
The importance of seabed operations will only increase in the future. China, Russia, and other countries are working to expand their underwater infrastructure. In particular, the Russian Navy, and before it, the Soviet Navy, have a particularly long history. history covert and secret combat operations on the seabed using special-purpose submarines and deep-sea vehicles, specialized surface ships and unmanned platforms.
Overall, the inclusion of a new, highly specialized version of the Virginia-class submarine as a complement to, or even a replacement for, the Jimmy Carter-class makes sense. The US Navy currently expects the Virginia-class Block V submarines to be launched between 2028 and 2034. The Jimmy Carter-class submarine was commissioned in 2005 and will be 29 years old by the time the last Block V submarine arrives, at least according to the current schedule. This unique Seawolf subclass itself replaces the equally unique modified Stødgen-class attack submarine, the Parche, which was decommissioned in 2004 after three decades of service.
The decision to reclassify the Block V submarines equipped with VPM as SSGNs is intended to underscore the Navy's commitment to filling certain looming capability gaps. The Navy is currently beginning the process of decommissioning its four submarines, all of which were originally built as nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).
These boats are also among the most sought-after submarines in the Navy's inventory today. They are truly multi-role platforms capable of providing a wide range of special operations support services, underwater command and control, and intelligence fusion functions, not to mention their long-range strike capabilities.
The USS Georgia, shown here, will be the first Ohio-class cruise missile submarine to be decommissioned.
It was also noted that the Navy is unlikely to acquire a new nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine in the coming years, at least formally. The US Navy plans to acquire a new nuclear-powered attack submarine, currently designated SSN(X), which has been discussed in the past as a more fully-fledged successor to the Seawolf.
However, the service projects that the first of these submarines will not enter service until the mid-2040s. At the same time, it's worth noting that the decision to reclassify the Virginia-class submarines from "ballistic missile submarine" to "cruise missile submarine" is largely administrative, based on what is currently known. At the very least, Block V submarines are expected to possess the same capabilities as before.
The SSN(X) will complement the Virginia-class submarines and create a combined submarine strike force designed to penetrate and dominate enemy defenses, according to the Navy's long-range shipbuilding plan released in May. With increased payload capacity, superior survivability, and seamless integration of unmanned, robotic, and autonomous systems (RAS), the SSN(X) will provide persistent access to denied areas and eliminate enemy safe havens.
Block VI will essentially be the starting point for the SSN(X) program, and we expect it to include even more advanced stealth and performance enhancements,
" said Graney of General Dynamics Electric Boat back in 2022.Block VI will essentially be the starting point for the SSN(X) program, and we expect it to include even more advanced stealth and performance enhancements,
It remains to be seen whether the new classification of the Virginia-class submarines with the VPM system will lead to any significant changes in their use.
What we do know for sure is that the US Navy's two future Virginia-class Block V submarines will not have a VPM system, and the second will be a highly specialized seabed warfare version quite unlike the others.
Whether this is a lot or a little is an interesting question, because for several decades, the US Navy operated a very small number of devices, let's say for classified and highly specialized missions. A certain group of hawks in Congress, which, as we know, oversees all defense spending, believes this is clearly insufficient.
Of course, the global media played a major role here, accusing Russia and China of all manner of mortal sins, the most idiotic of which was dragging an anchor along the seabed to sever data cables. And Ukraine, the semi-allies, also added fuel to the fire by blowing up Nord Stream.
In general, there is something to think about and allocate funds for.
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