Virginia class submarine

The Virginia-class attack submarines (SSN) are the first U.S. submarines to be designed for battlespace dominance across a broad spectrum of regional and littoral missions. They complement the Seawolf class submarine's capabilities for open-ocean, "blue water" missions.

General Characteristics

• Builders: Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding
• Length: (114.91 meters) 377 feet
• Beam: (10.36 meters) 34 feet
• Displacement: 7,800 tons
• Speed: 25+ knots
• Cost: about US$1.65 billion each (based on FY95 dollars and 30-ship class)
• Crew: 134 Officers and Enlisted
• Armament: Tomahawk missiles, VLS tubes, MK-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes, advanced mobile mines, and unmanned undersea vehicles.

Ships

• USS Virginia (SSN 774), under construction; delivery in 2004
• USS Texas (SSN 775), under construction; delivery in 2005
• USS Hawaii (SSN 776), under construction; delivery in 2007
• USS North Carolina (SSN 777), named December 11, 2000; delivery in 2006