Step Aboard The Navy’s $2.4 Billion Virginia-Class

Step Aboard The Navy’s $2.4 Billion Virginia-Class

The USS Virginia-class submarines are the United State’s newest and most advanced submarine. The Electric Boat division of General Dynamics, Connecticut, is the lead design authority for the Virginia Class. General Dynamics Electric Boat has built the first of the class – Virginia (SSN 774), and Northrop Grumman Newport News the second – Texas (SSN 775).

Take the time to visit this website: http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/nssn/

The first Virginia slipped beneath the waves just eight years ago and only nine vessels have been completed.

They take more than five years to build and run about $2.4 billion apiece.

Here, we look at the Virginia class of submarines from stern to bow, finding out what makes these ships unique.

We’ll start in the engine room, move our way over the reactor, through the barracks to the command center and down into the torpedo room.

The Virginia-class submarine is a new breed of high-tech post-Cold War nuclear subs

Christina Shaw / US Navy

The submarines are nearly 400 feet long and have been in service since 2003

US Navy

The ships were designed to function well in both deep sea and low-depth waters

David Nagle / US Navy

So far, nine have entered service – here is Cheryl McGuiness, the widow of one of the pilots killed on 9/11, christening the USS New Hampshire

John Narewski / US Navy

Here are the USS Virginia’s engines, which powers a pump-jet propulsor rather than a conventional propeller

US Navy / Wikimedia Commons

This design cuts back on corrosive damage and also makes the ship stealthier

Tosaka / wikimedia

The engine room, near the sub’s stern, is the place where power from the SG9 nuclear reactor core drives the ship to nearly 32 mph when it’s submerged

James Pinsky / US Navy

This hallway – extending from the engine room, over the reactor and through the living habitat in the center of the ship – is dark so that sailors can sleep

James Pinsky / US Navy

The ship has an airlock chamber with room for 9 SEALs

James Pinsky / US Navy

The SEALs can exit the sub while its underwater by passing through this airlock

Andrew McKaskle / US Navy

This lock-out chamber is in the center of the ship

Andrew McKaskle / US Navy

Submariners eat well – the quality of the food is designed to offset the stress and burden of living underwater for months at a time

Roadell Hickman / US Navy

One sailor said, “It’s a far cry from the days of ‘Horse cock and cheese’ sandwiches.”

Jennifer A Villalovos / US Navy

Going further toward the bow of the sub, the command center is directly beneath the main sail of the sub and where the navigators do their work

Kevin S O’Brien / US Navy

The command center on the Virginia subs are much more spacious compared previous submarines

Kevin O’Brien / US Navy

The command center doesn’t have to be directly under the deck of the ship in the Virginia-class subs because there isn’t a periscope.

Peter Lawlor / US Navy

The monitor the Commander is looking at is this is the sub’s “periscope” – a state-of-the-art photonics system, which enables real time imaging that more than one person can see at a time

Jeremy Lambert / US Navy

The Virginia eliminates the traditional helmsman, planesman, chief of the watch and diving officer by combining them into two stations manned by two officers

James Pinsky / US Navy

The subs are equipped with a spherical sonar array that scans a full 360-degrees

Jennifer Villalovos / US Navy

The Virginia subs carry a full crew of 134 sailors

Kevin O’Brien / US Navy

Despite computer navigation systems all routes are plotted manually as well

Roadell Hickman / US Navy

Down below the command center is the torpedo room, where it is possible to set up temporary bunks for special operations team

James Pinsky / US Navy

The ships carry up to 12 vertical launch tomahawk missiles and 38 torpedoes

Kevin O’Brien / US Navy

Here, a petty officer on the USS Texas fires water through the torpedo tubes as a test.

Roadell Hickman / US Navy

The subs were designed to host the defunct Advanced SEAL Delivery system, a midget submarine that transported the Navy SEALs from the sub to their mission

Jennifer Villalovos / US Navy

The only thing in front of the torpedo room is the bow of the submarine, which contains sonar equipment and shielding designed to make the sub stealthier