In the silent, high-pressure world of undersea warfare, dominance is defined by two factors: stealth and firepower. For decades, the United States Navy held an undisputed lead in both. However, with the emergence of Russia’s quiet Yasen-M class and China’s rapid naval expansion, that gap has narrowed.
The US Navy’s response is a massive, technological leap forward: the Virginia-Class Block V.
Unlike its predecessors, the Block V is not just an incremental upgrade. It represents a fundamental shift in the philosophy of the nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN). By physically lengthening the hull to accommodate the massive Virginia Payload Module (VPM), the Navy has created a hybrid predator—one that combines the hunter-killer agility of an SSN with the devastating land-attack capability of a guided-missile submarine (SSGN).
This comprehensive analysis delves into the Virginia-Class Block V capabilities, its game-changing hypersonic potential, and why military analysts consider it the most versatile platform to ever patrol the world’s oceans.
The Evolution: Why Block V Was Necessary
To understand the Block V, we must look at the “SSGN Deficit.”
In the early 2000s, the US Navy converted four Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines into guided-missile submarines (SSGNs). Each could carry a staggering 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles. These ships were crucial for “Day One” strike campaigns—the ability to rain hundreds of missiles on enemy air defenses without risking aircraft.
However, the Ohio SSGNs are aging and will retire in the late 2020s. Without a replacement, the Navy faced losing 60% of its undersea strike capacity.
Enter the Virginia Block V.
Instead of building a new, dedicated SSGN class (which would be prohibitively extensive), the Navy decided to “stretch” the existing Virginia design. The result is a sub that can do everything the standard Virginia can do—hunt subs, gather intel, deploy SEALs—but brings three times the missile firepower to the fight.
The Game Changer: Virginia Payload Module (VPM)
The defining feature of the Block V is the Virginia Payload Module.
Anatomy of the VPM
The VPM is an 84-foot (25-meter) section inserted into the submarine’s mid-body. This extension increases the submarine’s total length from 377 feet to 460 feet and pushes its displacement from 7,800 tons to over 10,200 tons, making it the second-largest US attack submarine ever built (behind the Seawolf).
Inside this 84-foot section represent four massive firing tubes, each capable of holding seven Tomahawk missiles (using the Multiple All-Up-Round Canister, or MAC).
The Math of Firepower
- Standard Virginia (Block I-IV):
- 12 Tomahawks in the bow (VLS).
- Total: 12 Missiles.
- Virginia Block V:
- 12 Tomahawks in the bow.
- 28 Tomahawks in the VPM (4 tubes x 7 missiles).
- Total: 40 Missiles.
This 330% increase in payload allows a single Block V submarine to strike 40 different targets deep inland while remaining undetected off a coastline. Just ten Block V submarines can deliver the same cruise missile volume as the retiring Ohio SSGN fleet.
Hypersonic Integration: Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS)
The large diameter of the VPM tubes serves a dual purpose. They are not just for Tomahawks. They are designed to house the US Navy’s next-generation weapon: the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missile.
The CPS is a hypersonic boost-glide weapon.
1. Launch: The missile launches like a ballistic missile.
2. Boost: It flies to the upper atmosphere.
3. Glide: A Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) detaches and glides toward the target at speeds exceeding Mach 5.
4. Impact: Unlike a ballistic missile, it can maneuver violently, making it nearly impossible for existing missile defense systems (like the Russian S-400 or Chinese HQ-9) to intercept.
The Block V will be the first submarine in history with the capability to launch these large-diameter hypersonic weapons. This gives the US President a “zero-warning” option—the ability to strike a time-sensitive target (like a mobile missile launcher or terrorist leader) anywhere in the world in less than an hour, without relying on nuclear weapons.
Acoustic Superiority: The War of Sound
Firepower is useless if you are detected and sunk before you can shoot. The Virginia class is already renowned for its stealth, but the Block V integrates upgrades from the South Dakota (SSN-790) Acoustic Superiority insertion.
1. Large Vertical Array (LVA)
The Block V moves beyond traditional flank arrays. It features advanced Large Vertical Arrays on its hull. These sensors provide a massive aperture for passive listening, allowing the sub to detect the faint, low-frequency vibrations of modern diesel-electric subs (AIP) or quiet nuclear boats at ranges that were previously impossible.
2. Quiet Design Technologies
- Labrynthine Coating: The hull is covered in next-generation anechoic tiles. These rubberized tiles absorb active sonar pings (preventing reflections) and dampen internal machinery noise.
- Pump-Jet Propulsion: Instead of a spinning propeller that creates cavitation bubbles (noise), the Virginia uses a shrouded pump-jet propulsor. This is significantly quieter, especially at higher tactical speeds.
- Isolated Decks: The internal decks of the submarine are mounted on sound-dampening rafts to prevent machinery vibrations from transferring to the hull and into the water.
This level of acoustic stealth is required to survive in “Anti-Access/Area Denial” (A2/AD) zones like the South China Sea or the Barents Sea.
Maritime Strike: The Anti-Ship Mission
For twenty years, US submarines focused on hitting land targets in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, the focus is back on sinking ships.
The Block V will deploy the Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST).
New Seeker: The MST adds a multi-mode seeker capable of tracking moving enemy ships.
Range: With a range in excess of 1,000 miles, a Block V submarine can target an enemy carrier strike group or amphibious landing fleet from a distance well outside their ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) perimeter.
Combined with the sub’s ability to carry Mk 48 MOD 7 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) heavyweight torpedoes, the Block V is a lethal Apex Predator against both surface ships and other submarines.
Comparison: Virginia Block V vs. The World
How does it stack up against its peer competitors?
Vs. Russian Yasen-M (Severodvinsk Class)
- Firepower: The Yasen-M carries 32 VLS cells for Kalibr/Oniks/Zircon missiles. The Block V carries 40 Tomahawks/Hypersonics. Advantage: Virginia Block V.
- Speed & Depth: The Yasen-M is reported to dive deeper (some estimates say 600m+) and potentially sprint faster. Advantage: Yasen-M.
- Stealth: While the Yasen-M is very quiet (the quietest Russian sub ever), Western analysts believe the Virginia still holds a slight edge within the broadband frequency spectrums, though the margin is razor-thin. Advantage: Marginal Virginia.
- Sensors: The US sonar suite (BQQ-10) and processing power are generally considered superior to Russian equivalents. Advantage: Virginia Block V.
Vs. Chinese Type 093B (Shang-II)
- The Type 093B is an improvement over earlier Chinese nukes, but it is still considered louder than both the Virginia and the Yasen-M.
- The Block V outclasses the Type 093B in almost every metric: stealth, sensor range, and payload capacity. The real threat from China is the upcoming Type 095, which aims to match Virginia capabilities.
The Cost of Dominance
Technology comes at a price.
Cost Per Hull: A standard Virginia (Block IV) cost about $2.8 billion. The Block V, with the VPM extension, costs approximately $3.2 to $3.5 billion per ship.
Production: The US Navy plans to build these at a rate of two per year, splitting the work between General Dynamics Electric Boat (Groton, CT) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (Newport News, VA).
Critics argue that the cost is too high and that the larger size makes the sub less maneuvering in shallow waters (littorals). However, proponents argue that replacing the SSGN capability is non-negotiable.
Strategic Roles and Mission Flexibility
The “Swiss Army Knife” nature of the Block V cannot be overstated.
- Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR): Using its photonic masts and drones, it can intercept communications and map enemy coastlines.
- Special Operations Forces (SOF): The “Lock Out Trunk” allows Navy SEALs to exit the sub while submerged. The VPM tubes potentially offer even more storage for SEAL Delivery Vehicles (SDVs) or stowage for gear.
- Mine Warfare: It can deploy the Orca XLUUV (Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle) or mobile mines (mk 67 SLMM) to blockade enemy ports.
- Seabed Warfare: There is speculation that the VPM area could be adapted to deploy seabed crawlers to tamper with or tap undersea internet cables—a critical domain in modern hybrid warfare.
Conclusion
The Virginia-Class Block V is more than just a submarine; it is a capital ship. In the hierarchy of naval assets, it sits just below the aircraft carrier in terms of strategic importance.
By rectifying the upcoming missile gap and integrating hypersonic weapons, the Block V ensures that the US Navy retains its “First Kick” capability—the power to batter down the door of enemy defenses from an unseen, underwater location. While adversaries like Russia and China are fast approaching parity, the Block V moves the goalposts again, combining the silence of the deep with the thunder of 40 guided missiles.
As these Leviathans begin to enter service in the mid-to-late 2020s, they will serve as the silent guardians of the rules-based international order, patrolling the dark depths where the next major conflict may be decided.
Disclaimer: Technical specifications regarding speed, exact depth, and sensor ranges are classified. Information is based on open-source Congressional Research Service reports and naval analysis.