Each new Virginia-class submarine “Block” of boats has advanced undersea attack and detection technology to new levels

by Kris Osborn, President Warrior

Each new Virginia-class submarine “Block” of boats has advanced undersea attack and detection technology to new levels, generating a circumstance wherein current Block III and Block V Virginia boats are entirely different from the earlier Blocks. 

With a Virginia-class Block VI under development and continued exploration of a much discussed SSN(X) future generation attack submarine, some might be inclined to wonder just how far the Virginia-class boats can be upgraded before a new hull is necessary.  

No Limits to Virginia boats

There appear to be few limitations regarding the extent to which Virginia-class submarines can be upgraded. Block III Virginia-class submarines and beyond are all engineered with a “fly-by-wire” automated computer navigational system which enabled humans to set depth and speed and allow computer automation to maintain the boat’s movements.  This replaced the legacy hydraulic mechanical navigation systems. Block III Virginias also have a redesigned Large Aperture Bow sonar system which brings new levels of range and sensitivity to undersea acoustic detection.  Block III boats also leverage fiber-optic communications technology to enable commanders to view periscope sensor input from numerous locations inside the boat.  

In recent years, Block III boats have also received new antennas, coating materials and quieting technologies as well, something which greatly improves their ability to conduct clandestine undersea reconnaissance missions. Block III also makes use of a “lock-out-trunk” area where Special Operations Forces can exit a submarine for clandestine missions without having to surface. 

Block V boats add massive firepower through the integration of Virginia Payload Modules, a roughly 80-ft missile-tube section added to the center of the boat to increase its Tomahawk missile firing capacity from 12 missiles up to 40. Alongside these innovations there continue to be new breakthroughs with undersea drones able to launch from missile tubes and conduct high-risk, forward-operating sensing and reconnaissance missions. 

Wireless Undersea Connectivity

The largest area of progress in coming years may be in the realm of undersea communications, and these are the kinds of breakthroughs which can massively improve and change submarine operations without there being a need to build a new boat.  The Navy and its industry partners have made great progress with wireless kinds of undersea data transmissions, such as in the case of Raytheon’s Barracuda mine-destroying undersea drone. Since RF does not transmit beneath the surface, except in some mostly ineffective low-frequency signals, the Navy and its industry partners such as BAE Systems and Raytheon have been working to pioneer undersea non-electromagnetic connectivity able to function like GPS can onland. 

A key tactical advantage here relates to the use of undersea drones, as the Navy is still largely unable to transmit data quickly in real time between unmanned underwater vehicles and host ship submarines. Progress is being made, yet by and large forward operating undersea drones have had to gather, collect and organize sensor data and then “download” upon return. However, this is changing as innovators not only launch UUVs from missile tubes but also uncover technological methods of transmitting critical information in real-time. 

One promising effort uses a series of transport layers integrated through gateways. Undersea drones can reach great depths yet remain “tethered” to a fiber optic cable able to send key threat data to the surface. Perhaps an undersea drone uses forward acoustic “pings” to analyze a return signal and detect the presence of an enemy submarine? In this instance the drone can instantly send threat details to the surface through a high-speed cable. 

Once the information is on the surface of the ocean, gateway technologies can use advanced computer technology and IP protocol to essentially “translate” data from one transport layer to another. A surface gateway can attach to an antenna or above water sensing and transmission device in position to send an RF or GPS signal to air, land and surface nodes.  Moving beyond this, emerging technologies can increasingly approach or come closer to an ability to transmit real-time data wirelessly undersea.  

There would seem to be few limits to this kind of technological advancement, and it is something which could introduce new concepts of operation and support a new generation of undersea combat without needing to redesign the Virginia-class hull. 

Portions of this essay also appeared in 1945

Kris Osborn is President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in 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