By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization (Washington D.C.) The somewhat abrupt end to the Cold War [https://coldwar.unc.edu/theme/end-of-the-cold-war/#:~:text=In%201989%2C%20Soviet%20forces%20withdrew,end%20of%20the%20Cold%20War.] generated a quick and potentially premature cancellation of the highly-capable Seawolf-class attack submarines [https://www.19fortyfive.com/2023/04/seawolf-class-submarines-the-u-s-navys-best-subs/] initially slated to replace the existing fleet of Los Angeles-class [https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/12/los-angeles-class-submarine-truly-the-u-s-navys-best-sub-ever/] boats. Although the service initially planned to build 29 Seawolf submarines [https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2023/march/submarines-will-reign-war-china], only three were actually built before the program came to halt due to budget constraints in the mid-1990s. The early termination of the Seawolf-class submarines inspired the birth of the now fast-progressing Virginia-class submarines [https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/05/the-virginia-class-block-iii-submarines-are-a-us-navy-powerhouse/], yet the Seawolfs themselves were engineered to be a paradigm-changing “jump” forward in capability beyond the Los Angeles submarines. The Seawolf was larger than the Virginia-class boats and considered expensive at $3 billion per unit, yet its mission was clearly defined. Seawolfs were designed to, among other things, hunt and potentially destroy nuclear-armed Soviet Typhoon-class [https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/09/meet-the-typhoon-class-russia-wont-retire-the-largest-submarine-ever-built/] ballistic missile submarines, according to Harpoondatabases.com [http://www.harpoondatabases.com/Encyclopedia/Entry2316.aspx]. http://www.harpoondatabases.com/Encyclopedia/Entry2316.aspx The Seawolfs were also built to track Soviet Akula-class attack submarines [https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/05/russias-akula-class-submarines-are-built-to-fight-the-us-navy/] in “deep ocean” environments, according to research in the US Naval Institute’s Guide to Ships and Aircraft of the US Fleet [https://archive.org/details/navalinstitutegu0018polm%20%20%20n].https://archive.org/details/navalinstitutegu0018polm%20%20%20n Seawolf-class hulls are constructed from HY-100 steel, which is stronger than the HY-80 steel employed in previous classes, in order to withstand water pressure at greater depths,” the US Naval Institute Guide states. As very large boats, the Seawolf-class is able to carry as many as 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles [https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/tomahawk/], something which might explain the rationale [https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/december/12650-nuclear-submarine-uss-seawolf-arrives-at-naval-base-kitsap.html] for why the U.S. Navy is building Virginia Block V [https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/12/the-us-navys-block-v-virginia-class-submarine-has-a-secret/] attack submarines with an extra 80-foot section adding 28 [https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2023/4/10/virginia-payload-module-to-give-subs-more-firepower] more Tomahawks [https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/12/14/the-us-navy-has-an-upgraded-tomahawk-heres-5-things-you-should-know/] to the previously existing 14. Called Virginia Payload Tubes [https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2023/4/10/virginia-payload-module-to-give-subs-more-firepower], these extensions are now being built into Block V Virginias, in part to replace the aging, yet heavily armed Ohio-class Guided Missile Submarines [https://www.19fortyfive.com/2023/01/the-navys-ohio-class-ssgn-submarines-are-stacked-with-cruise-missiles/] and Seawolf-class. There are other similarities between the Seawolf concept and upgrades to the Virginia-class boats, such as the addition of a Large Aperture Bow sonar system to Virginias, which appears somewhat aligned with the Seawolf’s larger “spherical sonar array, wide aperture array and new towed-array sonar,” as explained by Harpoondatabases.com. The Seawolf is also reportedly designed for shallow operations and Special Operation Forces mission support [https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/submarine-special-missions-in-the-pacific/] and delivery. This is also quite similar to Virginia boats, as Block III Virginias are built with a special “Lock Out Trunk [https://www.businessinsider.com/how-navy-seals-swim-out-of-a-submarine-2017-12]” designed to fill with water and quietly enable SOF forces to deploy on clandestine missions. Kris Osborn [https://warriormaven.com/author/krisosborn] is the Military Affairs Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University. Army Delivers New High-Speed Attack Networking Technology to Active Units
