New U.S. Navy Virginia-Class Attack Submarines Will Carry Hypersonic Missiles

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)—sm Mt(0.8em)—sm" type="text" content="The U.S. Navy has confirmed that the Block V version of its Virginia-class attack submarines will be the first vessels in the fleet to carry a new hypersonic missile the service is developing.» data-reactid=»18″>The U.S. Navy has confirmed that the Block V version of its Virginia-class attack submarines will be the first vessels in the fleet to carry a new hypersonic missile the service is developing.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)—sm Mt(0.8em)—sm" type="text" content="Arming the Block V Virginias with a hypersonic missile could help the Navy to fill the gap that the four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines will leave in the service's overall firepower when the aging boats begin leaving service in the mid-2020s.» data-reactid=»19″>Arming the Block V Virginias with a hypersonic missile could help the Navy to fill the gap that the four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines will leave in the service's overall firepower when the aging boats begin leaving service in the mid-2020s.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)—sm Mt(0.8em)—sm" type="text" content="There are naysayers, however. Some critics question the Navy's plan to concentrate so much of its missile capacity in its submarine force. The fleet in 2020 possesses 56 Los Angeles-, Seawolf— and Virginia-class attack submarines and Ohio SSGNs. Under current planning, that number would drop to a low of 41 or 42 boats in 2028.» data-reactid=»20″>There are naysayers, however. Some critics question the Navy's plan to concentrate so much of its missile capacity in its submarine force. The fleet in 2020 possesses 56 Los Angeles-, Seawolf— and Virginia-class attack submarines and Ohio SSGNs. Under current planning, that number would drop to a low of 41 or 42 boats in 2028.

The Navy's $207-billion budget request for 2021 cuts billions of dollars from shipbuilding, potentially slowing or even ending the fleet's attempt to grow from 294 front-line ships to 355. But the budget includes $22 billion for research and development, a billion dollars of which the fleet wants to spend on the so-called "Conventional Prompt Strike" weapon.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)—sm Mt(0.8em)—sm" type="text" content="Read the original article. » data-reactid=»22″>Read the original article.

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