A US Navy sailor next to USS North Carolina (SSN-777), docked at Changi Naval Base in Singapore, April 28, 2014.  Edgar Su/REUTERS

A newly completed comprehensive Navy analysis says producing more Virginia-Class attack submarines on a much faster timetable is "achievable" and necessary to ensure future undersea dominance for the US — in an increasingly contested strategic global environment. 

The Navy report, titled The Submarine Industrial Base and the Viability of Producing Additional Attack Submarines Beyond the Fiscal Year 2017 Shipbuilding Plan in the 2017–2030 Timeframe, was delivered to Congress on July 5, 2017, Navy officials told Scout Warrior. 

The current or previous status quo had been for the Navy to drop from building two Virginia-Class boats per year to one in the early 2020s when construction of the new Columbia-Class nuclear armed submarines begins. 

The completed study, however, maintains that the Navy and industry can produce two Virginia-Class boats and one Columbia-Class submarine per year, increasing the current plan by one Virginia-Class boat per year. 

Navy leaders have consistently talked about an expected submarine shortfall in the mid 2020s and that more attack submarines were needed to strengthen the fleet and keep stay in front of near-peer rivals such as Russia and China. 

"The sustainment of the two per year Virginia-Class submarine production rate during the procurement years of the Columbia-Class SSBNs is achievable and provides significant benefit to the Navy and the SSN (Attack Submarines) force structure," Lt.  Lauren Chatmas, Navy Spokeswoman, told Scout Warrior in a written statement. 

The USS Mississippi was commissioned in June 2012.  US Navy

Maintaining a two-per year Virginia Class build-rate will help the Navy reach its goal of 66 SSNs, as identified in the December 2016 Force Structure Assessment, Chatmas added. 

Increasing production will, to a large extent, rely upon the submarine-building industry's capacity to move up to three submarines per year. 

"Producing these additional submarines will be a challenge to the submarine industrial base that can be solved only if the shipyards are given sufficient time to adjust facility plans, develop their workforces, and expand the vendor base," Chatmas said. 

The Virginia-Class Submarines are built by a cooperative arrangement between the Navy and Electric Boat, a subsidiary of General Dynamics and Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. 

Each industry partner constructs portions or “modules” of the submarines which are then melded together to make a complete vessel, industry and Navy officials explained. 

Virginia-class attack submarine technology

Virginia-Class subs are fast-attack submarines armed with Tomahawk missiles, torpedoes and other weapons able to perform a range of missions; these include anti-submarine warfare, strike warfare, covert mine warfare, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), anti-surface/ship warfare and naval special warfare, something described as having the ability to carry and insert Special Operations Forces. 

The USS North Carolina, fourth in the Virginia class.  U.S. Navy photo By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelvin Edwards (Released)

"Future Virginia-Class submarines (VCS) provide improved littoral (coastal waters) capabilities, sensors, special operations force employment, and strike warfare capabilities, making it an ideal platform for the 21st Century security environment," Chatmas said. 

Compared to prior Navy attack subs like the Los Angeles-Class, the Virginia-Class submarines are engineered to bring vastly improved littoral warfare, surveillance and open ocean capabilities, service officials said. 

For instance, the ships can be driven primarily through software code and electronics, thus freeing up time and energy for an operator who does not need to manually control each small maneuver. 

The Virginia-Class submarine are engineered with this “Fly-by-Wire” capability which allows the ship to quietly linger in shallow waters without having to surface or have each small move controlled by a human operator.  With this technology, a human operator will order depth and speed, allowing software to direct the movement of the planes and rudder to maintain course and depth. 

Also, unlike their predecessor-subs, Virginia-Class subs are engineered with what’s called a “Lock Out Trunk” – a compartment in the sub which allows special operations forces to submerge beneath the water and deploy without requiring the ship to surface. 

Unlike their “SSBN” Columbia-Class counterparts to be armed with nuclear weapons, the Virginia-Class “SSN” ships are purely for conventional attack, Navy officials said. 

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick West visits the crew of the Virginia-class attack submarine Missouri (SSN 780) at Naval Submarine Base New London, July 30, 2010.  Jennifer Villalovos / US Navy

Development of Virginia-Class submarines are broken up into procurement “Blocks.”  Blocks I and II have already been delivered. 

The Block III subs, now under construction, are being built with new so-called Virginia Payload Tubes designed to lower costs and increase capability. 

Instead of building what most existing Virginia-Class submarines have — 12 individual 21-inch in diameter vertical launch tubes able to fire Tomahawk missiles – the Block III submarines are being built with two larger 87-inch in diameter tubes able to house six Tomahawk missiles each. 

Although the new tubes were conceived and designed as part of what the Navy calls its “Design for Affordability” strategy to lower costs, the move also brings strategic advantages to the platform, service officials say.  Specifically, this means that the submarines are constructed such that they will be able to accommodate new technologies as they emerge — this could mean engineering in an ability to fire upgraded Tomahawk missiles or other weapons which may emerge in the future. 

"VCS are designed to remain current with technology advances for their entire operational life through extensive use of modular construction, open architecture design (uses industry common design), and commercial off-the-shelf components," Chatmas said. 

The USS New Hampshire (SSN 778) moored at General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton moments before her christening ceremony, June 21, 2008.  U.S. Navy photo by John Narewski

The Block III Virginia-Class submarines also have what’s called a Large Aperture Bow conformal array sonar system – designed to send out an acoustic ping, analyze the return signal, and provide the location and possible contours of enemy ships, submarines and other threats. 

Virginia-class block V — Virginia payload modules

For Block V construction, the Navy is planning to insert a new 84-foot long section designed to house additional missile capability. “ Virginia Payload Modules.” 

The Virginia Payload Modules, to come in future years, will increase the Tomahawk missile firepower of the submarines from 12 missiles up to 40. 

"The VPM submarines will have an additional (approximately 84 feet) section with four additional Virginia Payload Tubes (VPTs), each capable of carrying seven Tomahawk cruise missiles, for a ship total of 40 Tomahawks," Chatmas said. 

The idea is to have additional Tomahawk or other missile capability increased by 2026, when the “SSGN” Ohio-Class Guided Missile Submarines start retiring in larger numbers, he explained. 

The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) alongside submarine tender USS Emory S. Land, November 10, 2011.  U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chris Williamson

Early prototyping work on the Virginia Payload Modules is already underway and several senior Navy leaders, over the years, have indicated a desire to accelerate production and delivery of this technology — which will massively increase fire-power on the submarines. 

While designed primarily to hold Tomahawks, the VPM missile tubes are engineered such that they could accommodate a new payload, new missile or even a large unmanned underwater vehicle, Navy officials said. 

The reason for the Virginia Payload Modules is clear; beginning in the 2020s, the Navy will start retiring four large Ohio-class guided-missile submarines able to fire up to 154 Tomahawk missiles each.  This will result in the Navy losing a massive amount of undersea fire power capability, Navy officials explained. 

From 2002 to 2008 the U.S. Navy modified four of its oldest nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarines by turning them into ships armed with only conventional missiles -- the USS Ohio, USS Michigan, USS Florida and USS Georgia.  They are called SSGNs, with the “G” designation for “guided missile.”