The modern United States Navy (USN) fields two types of active submarines - the general "attack" configuration and the strategic-minded "ballistic missile" submarine and the two are made up of various classes, both old and new. The attack arm consists of the older Los Angeles-class which is now being buoyed in ever-growing numbers by the newer Virginia-class. As planned, the Virginia-class is slated to become a group of sixty-six boats of which twenty-two have been completed into April 2022 - nineteen remaining active as of this writing (2022).
The Virginia-class is a direct successor to the Los Angeles-class design and will be procured into 2043 with a service career planned into the 2060s.
The latest addition to this class is USS Delaware (SSN-791) and she represents the last boat of the "Block III" initiative of the group, given reworked bows with Large Aperture Bow (LAB) sonar systems. Block I involved four boats and were the original offerings including lead-ship USS Virginia (SSN-774) herself while the six Block II hulls saw improved hull construction processes to speed up assembly. Block IV boats (with a focus on maintenance reduction) began with USS Vermont (SSN-792) and will end with USS Utah (SSN-801). Block V (adding guided-missile capability) will begin with USS Oklahoma (SSN-802) and continue on from there.
Awarded in April of 2008 to Newport News Shipbuilding, USS Delaware saw her hull laid down on April 30th, 2016 and she was launched on October 20th, 2018. The boat was commissioned while underwater - a U.S. Navy historical first - on April 4th, 2020 due to COVID restrictions in place on the surface (she was, however, commissioned by way of formal ceremony in April of 2022). She homeports out of Groton, Connecticut giving her access to the critical waterways of the Atlantic.
The boat has a conventional submarine silhouette with her sail mounted forward and the dive planes set along the sides of the hull (as opposed to the sail). The sail / conning tower is home to the usual sensors and communications masts as well as the needed optics for the attack role. The hull itself is tubular in its general shape, tapering at the stern and capped by a shrouded propeller unit. Control planes are arranged at the stern in typical cruciform pattern.
As built, the vessel has a running length of 377 feet, a beam of 34 feet, and a draught of 32 feet. It is powered by the S9G PWR series nuclear reactor generating 280,000 horsepower along with 2 x Steam turbines developing 40,000 horsepower driving a single-shaft pump-jet propulsor unit astern. This arrangement gives the boat essentially unlimited operational ranges and a submerged speed of around 25 knots - allowing the craft to remain on station for as long as crew endurance and supplies hold out. The reactor is rated for a lifespan of 33 years before requiring servicing. The hull has been tested down to depths of 800 feet.
Aboard is a crew of 135 personnel made up of fifteen officers and 120 enlisted.
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USS Virginia (SSN-774); USS Texas (SSN-775); USS Hawaii (SSN-776); USS North Carolina (SSN-777); USS New Hampshire (SSN-778); USS New Mexico (SSN-779); USS Missouri (SSN-780); USS California (SSN-781); USS Mississippi (SSN-782); USS Minnesota (SSN-783); USS North Dakota (SSN-784); USS John Warner (SSN-785); USS Illinois (SSN-786); USS Washington (SSN-787); USS Colorado (SSN-788); USS Indiana (SSN-789); USS South Dakota (SSN-790); USS Delaware (SSN-791); USS Vermont (SSN-792); USS Oregon Warner (SSN-793); USS Montana (SSN-794); USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795); USS New Jersey (SSN-796); USS Iowa (SSN-797); USS Massachusetts (SSN-798); USS Idaho (SSN-799); USS Arkansas (SSN-800); USS Utah (SSN-810); USS Oklahoma (SSN-802); USS Arizona (SSN-803); USS Barb (SSN-804) Ships-in-Class
Submerged Attack
Traveling under the surface to search, track, and / or engage or reconnoiter areas.
Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.
MISSILE ARMAMENT
The vessel supports the launching of missiles against airborne, waterborne, or land-based targets at range; typical of modern designs.
TORPEDOES
Ability to launch torpedoes against ocean-going targets.
377.0 feet (114.91 meters) Length
34.0 feet (10.36 meters) Beam
32.0 feet (9.75 meters) Draught
7,800 tons Displacement
8,700 tons Displacement (Submerged)
1 x S9G PWR series water-cooled nuclear reactor unit generating 280,000 horsepower with 2 x Steam turbines developing 40,000 horsepower driving 1 x Shaft astern. Propulsion
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