The US Navy has formally reclassified 19 planned Virginia-class fast attack submarines (SSN) as guided missile submarines (SSGN) to reflect a critical leap in onboard firepower.
The designation change applies to the upcoming boats in the Block V and Block VI variants that are fitted with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), an 84-foot (26-meter) hull extension adding four large vertical tubes.
That modification allows each submarine to carry 28 additional Tomahawk cruise missiles or hypersonic weapons, increasing total missile capacity to 40.
The move formally separates these heavily armed platforms from standard fast-attack platforms as four aging Ohio-class SSGNs begin retiring, led by the series’ second hull, USS Georgia (SSBN 729), which covered over 40 years of service.
Expanding ‘Hard-Hitting’ Assets
Washington noted that the new Virginia-class SSGNs will fill the resulting capability gap of older vessels while supporting Distributed Maritime Operations across heavily defended theaters.
The first VPM-equipped platform, the future USS Arizona (SSGN 803), is scheduled for delivery in 2029, with remaining deliveries extending through 2038.
“This reclassification is a clear acknowledgment of the increased lethality VPM brings to the undersea fight,” said Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher, director of submarine programs at the US Navy.
“By integrating this additional payload capacity, we will have the ability to surge strike power to assure our allies, deter aggression, outmatch any adversary, and give our Fleet commanders an incredibly versatile, hard-hitting instrument of national power.”
