Stretched Virginia Class Recategorized As Guided Missile Submarines (SSGNs)
Summary
The U.S. Navy has officially reclassified future Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines equipped with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) — a 70-foot hull extension housing four large vertical launch tubes — from SSNs to SSGNs (guided missile submarines), acknowledging their dramatically enhanced strike capabilities. This reclassification coincides with the planned retirement of all four Ohio-class SSGNs by 2029, with the Navy intending to acquire 19 VPM-equipped Virginia-class SSGNs to partially replace them, beginning with the future USS Arizona. The VPM upgrade significantly increases missile capacity, boosting the total Tomahawk load from 12 to 40, while also enabling the launch of advanced weapons such as Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) hypersonic missiles and potentially surface-to-air missiles. Senior Navy officials, including the Chief of Naval Operations and the Director of Submarine Programs, emphasized that the reclassification reflects the platforms' expanded lethality, operational flexibility, and strategic deterrence value. However, a numerical discrepancy exists between the stated plan of 19 SSGNs and the combined Block V and Block VI boat counts, which the Navy has yet to formally clarify.
Key Takeaways
- 1. Virginia-class submarines fitted with the VPM will now be officially designated SSGNs, recognizing their substantially greater strike capacity over standard attack submarines
- 2. The VPM adds a 70-foot hull section with four large vertical tubes, increasing Tomahawk missile capacity from 12 to 40 and enabling hypersonic missile launches
- 3. The Navy plans to acquire 19 VPM-equipped SSGNs, with USS Arizona being the first, to help offset the retirement of all four Ohio-class SSGNs by end of 2029
- 4. Despite their enhanced missile capacity, the new SSGNs will carry significantly fewer Tomahawks than the Ohio-class boats, which could deploy up to 154 missiles at once
- 5. Beyond strike missions, these submarines are expected to support special operations forces, uncrewed underwater vehicles, and potentially intelligence and command functions, making them highly versatile multi-mission platforms