New Virginia-Class Submarines to Carry Up to 40 Tomahawk Missiles

The United States has ordered a new version of Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines with an increased capacity for Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The War Zone reported the development.

The new submarines will be equipped with Virginia Payload Modules (VPMs), specialized modules that will extend the hull by 21.3 meters and add four vertical launch cells.

Virginia-class submarines equipped with this configuration will be designated SSGNs, or nuclear-powered guided-missile submarines.

The planned change in classification comes amid plans by the U.S. Navy to decommission all four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines by the end of 2029.

Ohio-class submarines are among the most heavily armed submarines in the U.S. Navy.

The current plan calls for 19 Virginia-class submarines to be equipped with VPMs. The first submarine of this type will be USS Arizona.

Submarines equipped with the system will be capable of carrying up to 40 missiles of various types. By comparison, Ohio-class submarines can carry up to 154 Tomahawk missiles.

In terms of missile capacity, four upgraded Virginia-class submarines would therefore be required to replace one Ohio-class submarine.

It was recently reported that the Pentagon had signed a $76.6 billion contract for submarine construction.

The agreement covers the construction of five Columbia-class nuclear-powered submarines. The order also includes nine Virginia-class multipurpose submarines to be built between fiscal years 2025 and 2029.

The Columbia-class submarines will replace the aging Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines and provide strategic deterrence, while Virginia-class submarines will expand the Navy’s strike capabilities.

Overall, the U.S. Navy has already contracted seven Columbia-class submarines, while 26 Virginia-class submarines have been built, and 23 more are planned for construction.