Virginia - class submarine The " Virginia " - class , also known as the SSN - 774 - class , is a class of nuclear - powered fast attack submarine s ( hull classification symbol SSN ) in service with the United States Navy . The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open - ocean and littoral missions . They were conceived as a less expensive alternative to the " Seawolf " - class attack submarines , designed during the Cold War era , and they are planned to replace the older of the " Los Angeles " - class submarines , twenty of which have already been decommissioned ( from a total of 62 built ) . The class was developed under the codename Centurion , renamed to NSSN ( New SSN ) later on . The " Centurion Study " was initiated in February 1991 . Innovations . The " Virginia " class incorporates several innovations not previously incorporated into other submarine classes . Photonics masts . Instead of a traditional periscope , the class utilizes a pair of AN / BVS - 1 telescoping photonics mast s located outside the pressure hull . Each mast contains high - resolution cameras , along 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 processor s to the control center . Visual feeds from the masts are displayed on LCD interfaces in the command center . Propulsor . In contrast to a traditional bladed - propellor , the " Virginia " class uses pump - jet propulsors ( built by BAE Systems ) , originally developed for the Royal Navy ' s " Swiftsure " class submarines . The propulsor significantly reduces the risks of cavitation , and allows quieter operation . Improved sonar systems . " Virginia " class submarines are equipped with a bow - mounted spherical active / passive sonar array , a wide aperture lightweight fiber optic sonar array ( three flat panels mounted low along either side of the hull ) , as well as two high frequency active sonars mounted in the sail and keel ( under the bow ) . The submarines are also equipped with a low frequency towed sonar array and a high frequency towed sonar array . The chin - mounted ( below the bow ) high frequency sonar supplements the ( spherical / LAB ) main sonar array enabling safer operations in coastal waters as well as improving ASW performance . The will be the first " Virginia " - class submarine with the advanced electromagnetic signature reduction system built into it , but this system will be retrofitted into the other submarines of the class . History . " Virginia " class submarines were the first US Navy warships designed with the help of computer - aided design ( CAD ) and visualization technology . Around 9 million work hours are required for the completion of a single " Virginia " class submarine . Over 4 , 000 suppliers are involved in the construction of the " Virginia " class . Each submarine is projected to make 14 - 15 deployments during its 33 - year service life . The " Virginia " s were intended , in part , as a cheaper ( $ 1 . 8 billion vs $ 2 . 8 billion ) alternative to the " Seawolf " class submarines , whose production run was stopped after just three boats had been completed . To reduce costs , the " Virginia " - class submarines use many " commercial off - the - shelf " ( or COTS ) components , especially in their computers and data networks . In practice , they actually cost less than $ 1 . 8 billion ( in fiscal year 2009 dollars ) each , due to improvements in shipbuilding technology . In hearings before both House of Representatives and Senate committees , the Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) 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 – would result in high unit costs and ( according to some of the witnesses and to some of the committee chairmen ) an insufficient number of attack submarines . In a 10 March 2005 statement 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 . " In 2001 , Newport News Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat Company built a quarter - scale version of a Virginia class submarine dubbed Large Scale Vehicle II ( LSV II ) " Cutthroat " . The vehicle was designed as an affordable test platform for new technologies . The " Virginia " - class is built through an industrial arrangement designed to keep both GD Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company ( the only two U . S . shipyards capable of building nuclear - powered vessels ) in the submarine - building business . Under the present arrangement , the Newport News facility builds the stern , habitability and 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 . O ’ Rourke wrote 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 enemy attack . In order to get the submarine ' s price down to $ 2 billion per submarine in FY - 05 dollars , the Navy instituted a cost - reduction program to shave off approximately $ 400 million in costs off each submarine ' s price tag . The project was dubbed " 2 for 4 in 12 , " referring to the Navy ' s desire to buy two boats for $ 4 billion in FY - 12 . Under pressure from Congress , the Navy opted to start buying two boats a year earlier , in FY - 11 , meaning that officials would not be able to get the $ 2 billion price tag before the service started buying two submarines per year . However , program manager Dave Johnson said at a conference on 19 March 2008 , that the program was only $ 30 million away from achieving the $ 2 billion price goal , and would reach that target on schedule . The Virginia Class Program Office received the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award in 1996 , 1998 , 2008 , " for excelling in four specific award criteria : reducing life - cycle costs ; making the acquisition system more efficient , responsive , and timely ; integrating defense with the commercial base and practices ; and promoting continuous improvement of the acquisition process " . In December 2008 , the Navy signed a $ 14 billion contract with General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman to supply eight submarines . The contractors will deliver one submarine in each of fiscal 2009 and 2010 , and two submarines on each of fiscal 2011 , 2012 and 2013 . This contract will bring the Navy ' s " Virginia " - class fleet to 18 submarines . And in December 2010 , the United States Congress passed a defense authorization bill that expanded production to two subs per year . Two submarine - per - year production resumed on 2 September 2011 with commencement of SSN - 787 construction . On 21 June 2008 , the Navy christened the , the first Block II submarine . This boat was delivered eight months ahead of schedule and $ 54 million under budget . Block II boats are built in four sections , compared to the ten sections of the Block I boats . This enables a cost saving of about $ 300 million per boat , reducing the overall cost to $ 2 billion per boat and the construction of two new boats per year . Beginning in 2010 , new submarines of this class will include a software system that can monitor and reduce their electromagnetic signatures when needed . The first full duration six month deployment was successfully carried out from October 15 , 2009 to April 13 , 2010 . Authorization of full - rate production and the declaration of full operational capability was achieved five months later . In September 2010 , it was found that urethane tiles , applied to the hull to damp internal sound and absorb rather than reflect sonar pulses , were falling off while the subs were at sea . Professor Ross Babbage of the Australian National University has called on Australia to buy or lease a dozen Virginia class submarines from the United States , rather than locally build 12 replacements for its Collins class submarines . In 2013 , just as two per year sub construction was supposed to get started , Congress failed to resolve the United States fiscal cliff , forcing the Navy to attempt to " de - obligate " construction funds . Technology barriers . Because of the low rate of " Virginia " production , the Navy entered into a program with DARPA to overcome technology barriers to lower the cost of attack submarines so that more could be built , to maintain the size of the fleet . These include : Virginia Payload Module . Submarines built from 2019 onward will have an additional Virginia Payload Module ( VPM ) mid - body section , increasing their overall length . The VPM will add four large vertical launch tubes , located on the centerline , carrying up to seven Tomahawk missiles apiece , that would replace some of the capabilities lost when the SSGN conversion s are retired from the fleet . Initially eight payload tubes / silos were planned . The VPM could potentially carry ( non - nuclear ) medium - range ballistic missiles . Adding the VPM would increase the cost of each submarine by $ 500 million ( 2012 prices ) . This additional cost would be offset by reducing the total submarine force by four ships . More recent reports state that as a cost reduction measure the VPM would carry only Tomahawk SLCM and possibly unmanned undersea vehicles ( UUV ) with the new price tag now estimated at $ 360 – 380 million per boat ( in 2010 prices ) . The VPM launch tubes / silos will reportedly be similar in design to the ones planned for the Ohio class replacement . the CNO was still hoping to field the VPM from 2027 , but deployment now seems unlikely since JROC moved the program in February 2013 from the Prompt Strike budget to the main Navy shipbuilding account , which is already under financial pressure . Boats . Block I . Modular construction techniques were incorporated during construction . Block I boats were built in 10 modules with each submarine requiring roughly 7 years ( 84 months ) to build . Block II . Block II boats were built in four sections rather than ten sections , saving about $ 300 million per boat . Block II boats ( excluding SSN - 778 ) were also built under a multi - year procurement agreement as opposed to a block - buy contract in Block I , enabling savings in the range of $ 400 million ( $ 80 million per boat ) . Improvements in the construction process also enabled shorter construction periods , for example , USS New Mexico ( SSN - 779 ) required one million fewer work hours to build than USS North Carolina ( SSN - 777 ) . Block III . through approximately SSN - 791 are planned to make up the Third Block or " Flight " and began construction in 2009 . Block III subs will feature a revised bow with a Large Aperture Bow ( LAB ) sonar array , as well as technology from " Ohio " - class SSGN s ( 2 VLS tubes each containing 6 missiles ) . The horseshoe - shaped LAB sonar array will replace the spherical main sonar array which has been used on all U . S . Navy SSNs since 1960 . Block IV . No block IV submarines are yet under contract . The first block IV submarine is not scheduled to be procured until FY14 . The long - lead - time materials contract for SSN 792 was awarded on April 17 , 2012 , with SSN 793 and SSN 794 following on December 28 , 2012 . the U . S . Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $ 208 . 6 million contract modification for the second fiscal year ( FY ) 14 Virginia - class submarine , SSN - 793 , and two FY 15 submarines , SSN - 794 and SSN - 795 . With this modification , the overall contract is worth $ 595 million . Block IV will consist of 9 - 10 submarines . Based on the planned split between block IV and block V boats , the block IV procurement should comprise the following hull numbers . Block V . Block V subs may incorporate the Virginia Payload Module ( VPM ) , which would give guided - missile capability when the SSGN s are retired from service . The Navy plans to acquire at least 30 " Virginia " class submarines , however , more recent data provided by the Naval Submarine League ( in 2011 ) and the Congressional Budget Office ( in 2012 ) seems to imply that more than 30 may eventually be built . The Naval Submarine League believes that up to 10 Block V boats will be built . The same source also states that 10 additional submarines could be built after Block V submarines , with 5 in the so - called Block VI and 5 in Block VII , largely due to the delays experienced with the " Improved " Virginia " " . These 20 submarines ( 10 Block V , 5 Block VI , 5 Block VII ) would carry VPM bringing the total number of " Virginia " class submarines to 48 ( including the 28 submarines in Blocks I , II , III and IV ) . The CBO in its 2012 report states that 33 " Virginia " class submarines will be procured in the 2013 - 2032 timeframe , resulting in 49 submarines in total since 16 were already procured by the end of 2012 . Such a long production run seems unlikely but it should be noted that another naval program , the Arleigh Burke class destroyer , is still ongoing even though the first vessel was procured in 1985 . However , other sources believe that production will end with Block V . In addition , data provided in CBO reports tends to vary considerably compared to earlier editions . In 2013 execution of a 10 submarine contract was put in doubt by Budget sequestration in 2013 . Improved " Virginia " . Initially dubbed Future Attack Submarine . Improved " Virginia " - class submarines will be an evolved version of the " Virginia " - class . It was planned that the first " Improved " " Virginia " - class submarine would be procured in 2025 . However , according to some reports their introduction has been pushed back by eight years , to 2033 .