The U.S. Navy has just received the newest nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) of the Virginia class from the Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) subsidiary of the military shipbuilding giant Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).
The USS New Jersey (SSN 796) is the 11th Virginia-class submarine delivered by NNS and the 23rd boat built under the teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB).
“We are excited that another Virginia-class submarine has reached this important milestone in joining our fleet and enhancing the warfighting capability of our Navy,” said Capt. Mike Hollenbach, the Virginia-class submarine program manager, in a press release late last month.
“The Navy and our industry partners have put in a tremendous amount of work to reach this critical juncture. Along with her crew, this submarine will continue to showcase our commitment to delivering exceptional warfighting capability for decades to come,” Hollenbach added.
The nuclear-powered submarine was named after the home state of New Jersey of the sponsor, Ms. Susan DiMarco, in November 2021. Ms. DiMarco is a retired dentist and the wife of former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson.
The nuclear-powered submarine USS New Jersey is expected to be commissioned into service by the end of 2024, with a ceremony planned for September 14.
Designed to meet the U.S. Navy’s post-Cold War requirements, Virginia-class submarines have enhanced stealth, advanced surveillance capabilities, and special warfare upgrades that allow them to perform a wide range of missions.
These “super-stealthy” boats can achieve speeds over 25 knots (29 mph or 46 km/h) submerged and can stay underwater for up to 3 months at a time.
They are powered by a 280,000-horsepower nuclear reactor, steam turbines, and both main and auxiliary propulsion motors. They can reach depths of over 800 feet (240 m) and have a flexible and durable operating capability, depending on maintenance and refueling requirements.
Virginia-class nuclear submarines can be equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes, depending on their specific configuration and mission requirements.
The Virginia-class submarine program was launched to replace the aging Los Angeles-class submarine fleet of the U.S. Navy, which had been in service since the 1970s. HII has built 29 out of the 62 Los Angeles-class submarines for the U.S. Navy.
As of the end of 2023, 38 Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines have been constructed, but the U.S. Navy plans to commission a total of 66 such submarines. Due to boats currently undergoing maintenance or awaiting maintenance at shipyards, the number of nuclear-powered attack submarines ready for operations in the U.S. Navy fleet has decreased to 31 in fiscal year 2023.
Under the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) security partnership agreement in September 2021, 3 Virginia-class submarines will be sold to Australia, with the potential for 2 additional boats if needed.
The first two boats, to be delivered in fiscal years 2032 and 2035, will be existing submarines with 18-27 years of service life remaining. The third boat, to be delivered in fiscal year 2038, will be a brand new “shiny” submarine directly from the production line.
New Virginia-class submarines will be constructed in the 2030s to replace the boats sold to Australia.
