Virginia-class
The Latest USS Iowa Is Almost Ready for Action
In a further sign that none of the Iowa-class battleships will ever return to service, the latest U.S. Navy vessel named for the Hawkeye State was officially commissioned into service...
Australia Won’t Get the Virginia-class Submarine Anytime Soon
As of last year, the Virginia building program was estimated to be 410 months behind schedule.
The Navy’s SSN(X) Submarine Will Redefine Undersea Warfare
The next-generation SSN(X) submarine is expected to deliver greater transit speed under increased stealth conditions in every ocean environment. Budgetary constraints and labor shortages have hindered the development of nearly...
U.S. Navy Receives Its 24th Virginia-class Submarine
The delivery of SSN 797 is a major milestone for the U.S. Navy and American shipbuilders. In the final days of 2024, General Dynamics handed over the twenty-fourth Virginia-class submarine to...
The Navy Must Keep the Los Angeles-class Submarine
As of December 2024, the United States Navy’s iconic Los Angeles-class submarines, coming in at forty-eight years of age, continue to be the workhorse of America’s submarine force. They were...
Los Angles-Class Submarine Dilemma for the Navy Is Clear
The Cold War-era Los Angeles-class submarine is slated for retirement in the 2030s when the Virginia-class submarine will become the Navy’s go-to fast attack submarine. But the transition has become...
The Great Virginia-Class Sub Delay
The Virginia-class submarines are facing construction delays and are now years behind schedule, complicating the Navy’s ability to field much-needed submarines. Consider the USS Massachusetts (SSN-798), the twenty-fifth Virginia-class submarine,...
USS Minnesota: A (Sometimes) Floating Deterrent
The U.S. Navy has deployed its most advanced fast-attack submarine just a few hundred miles from China. The USS Minnesota, a Virginia-class fast-attack nuclear submarine, is now forward-deployed in Guam...
Why Is the Virginia-Class So Behind?
The United States of America’s once-vaunted shipbuilding capacity, especially in submarines, has, if you’ll pardon a pessimistic expression, hit some rough seas. As Yours Truly recently reported for The National...
Virginia-Class Submarine: $17,000,000,000 Over Budget and Years Behind
What You Need to Know: The U.S. Navy’s plan to counter China’s military buildup by 2027 faces significant hurdles, particularly with the Virginia-class submarine program. Delays have pushed completion timelines...
Can the U.S. Navy Really Build 3 Submarines Per Year?
What You Need to Know: The U.S. Navy aims to boost submarine production to three per year—one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class—by 2028 through the “1+2+Sustainment” plan, addressing domestic and AUKUS...
$6,200,000,000: Too Much for a U.S. Navy Attack Submarine? Meet SSN(X)
The Key Points: The U.S. Navy’s SSN(X) program aims to develop the next generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines, promising greater speed, stealth, and operational capabilities, potentially incorporating biomimetic propulsion systems....