NationStates Jolt Archive

FIRST SUBMARINE IN NEW CLASS TO BE COMMISSIONED

The U.S. Navy will commission USS Virginia (SSN 774), lead
ship of the latest class of attack submarines, Saturday, Oct.
23, 2004, during an 11 a.m. EST ceremony at Pier 14, Naval
Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Va.

As the Navy's next-generation attack submarine, the
Virginia Class is the first class of submarines specifically
designed to counter post-Cold War threats and provides the U.S.
Navy with the capabilities it requires to meet the threats of
the 21st century. Virginia has improved stealth, sophisticated
surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that
enable it to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements. With a
modular design, the Virginia class will be able to accommodate
technology upgrades over the life of the class.

Sen. John Warner of Virginia will deliver the ceremony's
principal address. Lynda Johnson Robb, wife of former Sen.
Charles Robb of Virginia and the daughter of 36th President
Lyndon Baines Johnson, will serve as the ship's sponsor. In the
time-honored Navy of commissioning U.S. Naval ships, Mrs. Robb
will give the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"

This is the sixth ship of the U.S. Navy to carry the name
Virginia since the original Virginia was commissioned in 1777.
The last Virginia was the nuclear powered guided missile
cruiser, which was decommissioned in 1994.

Virginia can attack targets ashore with highly accurate
Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term
surveillance of land areas, littoral waters and other sea
forces. Virginia also has superior anti-submarine and anti-ship
warfare capabilities, is able to provide Special Forces delivery
and support, and can conduct mine delivery and minefield
mapping. With enhanced communications connectivity, Virginia
will also provide important battle group and joint task force
support with full integration into carrier strike group
operations.

Capt. David Kern, a native of Binghamton, N.Y. and a Naval
Academy graduate, will become the first commanding officer of
the ship, leading a crew of approximately 134 officers and
enlisted Sailors. Virginia will be homeported in Groton, Conn.,
as a member of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Virginia is 377 feet in length, has waterline beam of 34
feet, a navigational draft of 32 feet, displaces approximately
7,800 tons submerged, can dive to depths greater than 800 feet,
and can sustain speeds of more than 25 knots when submerged. She
is also designed with a reactor plant that will not require
refueling during the planned life of the ship – reducing
lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.

The superior capabilities of the Virginia class will
ensure the United States maintains undersea dominance, in both
deep and shallow waters, well into this century.

-USN-

This is a good day for the Navy. The Virginia class SSN will be an important backbone of the fleet for the next 50 years. Many of you know that I've applied for the NROTC and plan on serving in the silent service if accepted. I hope to one day serve on one of these great subs and hopefully I will get that opportunity soon.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d2/300px-USS_Virginia.jpg
USS Virginia during sea trials July, 2004. Her pennant numbers aren't yet on the sail in this picture. They were added last weekend upon delivery to the Navy.

Woah, I thought she was still under construction...(Jeez, I'm behind..).

Woah, I thought she was still under construction...(Jeez, I'm behind..).
There are 4 more under construction right now and 5 more ordered with more to come. The final Seawolf, the USS JIMMY CARTER, will be commissioned next June.

No USS RONALD REAGAN? The one which will be designed to forget where the sub is after the launch. :D

bump for this new great sub.

this boat(not considered a ship for some reason) is going to be pretty damn awesome! if i become a SEAL i would love to be in this work of art

this boat(not considered a ship for some reason) is going to be pretty damn awesome! if i become a SEAL i would love to be in this work of art
I read somewhere that the Virginia class has a SEAL chamber built into it along with the ASDVs it can carry. They call all submarines boats, including the nearly 20,000 ton Ohio SSBNs

Did you hear that she doesn't even have a scope? They use some fiber optic wire in place of one.

bump

All this trouble when you couls just have bought one of the old British ones.

All this trouble when you couls just have bought one of the old British ones.
You mean the 20 year old Trafalgars or Upholder SSKs? No. The Virginia is as quiet as the Seawolf class boats. (about 30 times as quiet as the USS Los Angeles and the Trafalgars.) I'd gladly take an American made boat over a Brit one.

That was rather the point, highlighting what happened to the Canadians.





But a quick question, what is the fucking point? This isnt going to be useful in the kind of wars America is fighting and by the time that a nation will threaten them with conventional war it will be obsolete.

That was rather the point, highlighting what happened to the Canadians.





But a quick question, what is the fucking point? This isnt going to be useful in the kind of wars America is fighting and by the time that a nation will threaten them with conventional war it will be obsolete.
You mean the fire prone Upholder class.

The Virginis is very useful. It was designed after the Cold War with terrorism in mind. The submarine's primary job right now isn't to kill another ship, it is to gain ELINT. (electronic intel) These boats have tons or highly sensitive recording equipment to gain inteligence on terrorists. They can pick up conversations or other activity that satelites or planes can't. They can then act on their information with a tomahawk launch.

These subs are also useful in the event that China invades Taiwan. Both have equal air forces and surface fleets, but the Chinese sub force is much better that that of Taiwan. Don't call this war unlikely. Taiwan is planning on declaring independence soon and the PRC still says they will strike Taiwan if that happens and will. Talk to someone form the PRC and they'll tell you the same thing.

Iran also has a sub fleet with the Kilo class SSK, which is very quiet and able in shallow waters. The 688 boats are not too maneuverable in those conditions. The SSN-774 was built for this sort of situation. Once again if there is a war in the Formosa Straight, the Virginia will be able to maneuver better than a 688 or Seawolf.

These are also useful for similar reasons in Korea.

Did you hear that she doesn't even have a scope? They use some fiber optic wire in place of one.

The stuff you guys think of.

You mean the 20 year old Trafalgars or Upholder SSKs? No. The Virginia is as quiet as the Seawolf class boats. (about 30 times as quiet as the USS Los Angeles and the Trafalgars.) I'd gladly take an American made boat over a Brit one.

There is one good thing about the Brits there subs are smaller and better at coastal raiding while you Yanks are masters of the high seas its a good combo.
Id personally go with U-boats apart from them being sitting ducks when recharging
damn 8-18hrs or something
:confused:

damn i thought that was monday i ment to go to that

You mean the fire prone Upholder class.

The Virginis is very useful. It was designed after the Cold War with terrorism in mind. The submarine's primary job right now isn't to kill another ship, it is to gain ELINT. (electronic intel) These boats have tons or highly sensitive recording equipment to gain inteligence on terrorists. They can pick up conversations or other activity that satelites or planes can't. They can then act on their information with a tomahawk launch.

These subs are also useful in the event that China invades Taiwan. Both have equal air forces and surface fleets, but the Chinese sub force is much better that that of Taiwan. Don't call this war unlikely. Taiwan is planning on declaring independence soon and the PRC still says they will strike Taiwan if that happens and will. Talk to someone form the PRC and they'll tell you the same thing.

Iran also has a sub fleet with the Kilo class SSK, which is very quiet and able in shallow waters. The 688 boats are not too maneuverable in those conditions. The SSN-774 was built for this sort of situation. Once again if there is a war in the Formosa Straight, the Virginia will be able to maneuver better than a 688 or Seawolf.

These are also useful for similar reasons in Korea.

PRC subs are so noisy skippers worry about their sonarmen's ears-i'm told. The Virginia is the tip of the spear in the ocean. It's so quiet it actually absorbs the sound around it- like a whisper at a rock concert or a black hole

You think a war between Taiwan and China would come down to who had hte best subs? And given that do you think that The US would get involved?


Iran's three subs? With a Navy locked in power struggles amongst themselves?


Purely out of interest, what are the circumstances in which a submarine could be more efficient than a plane or ground personnel at gathering intelligence?

Looks more like a show of grandeur than a valuable addition to the Navy.

You think a war between Taiwan and China would come down to who had hte best subs? And given that do you think that The US would get involved?


Iran's three subs? With a Navy locked in power struggles amongst themselves?


Purely out of interest, what are the circumstances in which a submarine could be more efficient than a plane or ground personnel at gathering intelligence?

Looks more like a show of grandeur than a valuable addition to the Navy.

If a war broke out between Taiwan and China of course the US would get involved! US military presence in Taiwan is the only thing stopping an invasion.

The stuff you guys think of.



There is one good thing about the Brits there subs are smaller and better at coastal raiding while you Yanks are masters of the high seas its a good combo.
Id personally go with U-boats apart from them being sitting ducks when recharging
damn 8-18hrs or something
:confused:
The Brit subs good and they are building a Trafalgar II, which is improved over the older ones by far.

PRC subs are so noisy skippers worry about their sonarmen's ears-i'm told. The Virginia is the tip of the spear in the ocean. It's so quiet it actually absorbs the sound around it- like a whisper at a rock concert or a black hole
That use to be the case, but they've purchased about 10 Kilo SSKs with more to come. They are as quiet on battery as a US nuc boat. The Kilo battery can allow it to stay submerged 3-4 days. The PRC is also developing an AIP sub

That use to be the case, but they've purchased about 10 Kilo SSKs with more to come. They are as quiet on battery as a US nuc boat. The Kilo battery can allow it to stay submerged 3-4 days. The PRC is also developing an AIP sub
actuly ssk can be quieter on the battery then a us nuke due to the fact the have no coolent pumps running

[QUOTE=Ferkus]You think a war between Taiwan and China would come down to who had hte best subs? And given that do you think that The US would get involved?
QUOTE]
It would. Submarines would give us and the ROC the advantage on the sea. As long as the Kilos are out there, our carriers won't go near there as they are endangered. A sub can clear the Kilos out. It would allow us to shut off the PRC logistics and allow us to break up a Chinese blockade.

There are also reports that the Chinese are obtaining Akula class subs. They are very dangerous as they are quieter than Batch 1 and 2 Los Angeles class boats. Only a sub like the Virginia or Seawolf class would be able to safely deal with them without casualties.

As for intel. I'd recommend reading "Blind Man's Bluff" and how subs can be used in cable taps. There are other ways in which they gather intel and some subs are being built especially for those missions, like the USS JIMMY CARTER.

[QUOTE=Ferkus]You think a war between Taiwan and China would come down to who had hte best subs? And given that do you think that The US would get involved?
QUOTE]
It would. Submarines would give us and the ROC the advantage on the sea. As long as the Kilos are out there, our carriers won't go near there as they are endangered. A sub can clear the Kilos out. It would allow us to shut off the PRC logistics and allow us to break up a Chinese blockade.

There are also reports that the Chinese are obtaining Akula class subs. They are very dangerous as they are quieter than Batch 1 and 2 Los Angeles class boats. Only a sub like the Virginia or Seawolf class would be able to safely deal with them without casualties.

As for intel. I'd recommend reading "Blind Man's Bluff" and how subs can be used in cable taps. There are other ways in which they gather intel and some subs are being built especially for those missions, like the USS JIMMY CARTER.
that book is nothing more then old sea stories
old sea stories are like fishing stories

You think a war between Taiwan and China would come down to who had hte best subs? And given that do you think that The US would get involved?
The US seems unable to keep its finger out of any pie going at the moment. As for using subs for spying then launching a cruise missile at the results - no wonder the rest of the world is starting to despise the US.

that book is nothing more then old sea stories
old sea stories are like fishing stories
The cable tapping stories are quite true. The PARCHE has the 5 or 6 PUCs to prove it.

The US seems unable to keep its finger out of any pie going at the moment. As for using subs for spying then launching a cruise missile at the results - no wonder the rest of the world is starting to despise the US.
We wouldn't be going where we don't belong. We have a defense alliance with Taiwan. The PRC will be illegaly invading them and we will have to helpp them.

the resion for most of the puc is still classifed if i rember right

the resion for most of the puc is still classifed if i rember right
it's classified alright, but some people opened their mouths to the authors of "Blind Man's Bluff."

it's classified alright, but some people opened their mouths to the authors of "Blind Man's Bluff."
as i said fishing stories think fishing stories

as i said fishing stories think fishing stories
I know what your saying, but multiple people are repeating a similar story.

I know what your saying, but multiple people are repeating a similar story.
yes well one person tells it to some people
then those people may use it themselves later
having been on subs i know this happens

think alien abduction stories