The Virginia-class submarine is a US Navy attack submarine designed to engage enemy naval forces directly. It was developed in 2004 as a replacement for the Seawolf-class submarines, with a lower acquisition cost of $1.8 billion per unit. Six submarines have been built, with more planned. They can stay submerged for months thanks to their onboard nuclear reactors and are difficult to locate and hit with conventional weapons. They have a crew of 134 and travel at a speed of approximately 38 mph using silent pump-jet thrusters.
The Virginia-class submarine is a US Navy full-range attack submarine, designed to engage enemy naval forces directly. This is in contrast to nuclear missile submarines whose role would be to launch nuclear missiles in the event of a major war. The Virginia-class submarine was developed in 2004 as a lower-cost replacement for the Cold War-era Seawolf-class submarines, at an acquisition cost of $1.8 billion United States dollars (USD) per unit in instead of $2 billion dollars per unit.
As of early 2010, six submarines in the series have been built, six have been named and ordered, with more planned. Although intended to use as many standard components as possible, construction costs on the subs have already exceeded $2.3 billion per unit, partly due to a lack of economies of scale.
Like the Los Angeles-class submarines they are replacing, the Virginia-class submarines will circumnavigate the globe in silence, capable of staying submerged for months thanks to their onboard nuclear reactors, always ready for action. in case of conflict. Unlike conventional vessels, submarines are difficult to locate and very difficult to hit with conventional weapons. Instead, a submarine can only be sunk with depth charges and mines, which have notoriously poor range and hit rate; torpedoes and other guided missiles, which can be mistaken for decoys; or rocket-based weapons. There has not been significant submarine warfare since World War II.
A Virginia-class submarine has a length of 377 feet (115 m), height and width of 34 feet (10 m), and a displacement of 7,800 tons. A standard Virginia-class submarine has a crew of 134, with unlimited range except for food supplies. Two computers typically go offline in 90-day periods.
A Virginia-class submarine travels at a speed of approximately 38 mph using silent pump-jet thrusters. Instead of conventional periscopes, Virginia’s submarines use “photon masts” draped with high-resolution thermal and digital cameras to observe their surroundings. Like other modern military submarines, the Virginia-class submarines can travel through the cold waters of the North Sea and surface at places like the North Pole, where polar bears can curiously scratch them.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
