"Ash" vs. "Virginia": whose submarine is cooler?

Presentation of participants

From the American side: Virginia-class nuclear submarine. Submarines of this type have been produced for the US Navy since 1999; the lead one, SSN-774 Virginia, entered service in 2004. Over the past 13 years, 15 boats of three series have been delivered to the fleet, four are at different stages of construction. In total, it is planned to build 48 submarines, 33 of them by 2030. They should completely replace the Los Angeles and Advanced Los Angeles class submarines of the 1970s-1990s in the fleet.

USS Virginia (SSN-774)

Virginia is a multi-purpose submarine, but its main purpose is to combat underwater targets and conduct special operations.

From the Russian side: nuclear submarine Project 885 (code “Yasen”). The main Yasen plant was laid down back in 1993, but work stopped almost immediately due to lack of funding. Construction resumed in the second half of the 2000s after a radical reworking of the project for new equipment and weapons. The nuclear submarine cruiser K-560 Severodvinsk was launched in 2010 and handed over to the fleet in 2014. The K-561 Kazan nuclear submarine, laid down in 2009, is currently undergoing testing. Another five submarines, laid down in 2013-17, are at various stages of construction - they will be transferred to the fleet in 2019-2023.

K-560 “Severodvinsk” (photo: Oleg Kuleshov)

“Yasen” is also a multi-purpose boat, but its main task is to fight enemy surface ships and destroy ground targets with cruise missiles of various types.

We will compare the competition participants according to several main parameters: stealth, strike capabilities, mobility and power supply, the level of on-board systems, the ability to perform various tasks, comfort for the crew and, of course, serial production.

Go.

Story

origin

The Cold War was a period when submarine warfare played a huge role. The USSR decided to put more effort into submarine warfare to counter Western naval power. The Los Angeles class was once the world's best hunter of Russian missile submarines. Measuring 110 meters in length and displacing 7,000 tons when submerged, they were silent and heavily armed ships. Prior to the introduction of the Shark class, the United States introduced the Seawolf class, which was intended to replace the Los Angeles class.

.
They were more advanced, larger and more expensive than their predecessors. They addressed the shortcomings of their predecessors in terms of depth and war in the Arctic, but were born precisely to coincide with the end of the Cold War. Although the Seawolf was developed as a possible replacement for the Los Angeles class.
its unit cost was prohibitive, and new strategic requirements led to the definition of a new submarine. After the collapse of the USSR, underwater weapons had to adapt rather than disappear, and priorities shifted towards new threats. The U.S. Navy undersea lobby has fought to stay famous. Conventional submarines (CPLs) have become the new enemy. They were cheap, slippery and could cause enormous destruction. Many countries have cut their anti-submarine budgets.

Virginia class

"is not just one type of ship.
The US Navy wanted a very versatile model and it evolved over the years as different units
or groups were created. The differences between one group and another can be quite significant.

General Dynamics' electric boat division was responsible for the design of the Virginia class. After development, General Dynamics Electric Boat was responsible for the construction of the first submarine of this class, USS Virginia

(SSN-774), and Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN) was responsible for the construction of the second,
USS Texas
(SSN-775). ).

Block I and II

First unit, USS Virginia

(SSN 774), was delivered in October 2004. Together with
USS Texas
,
USS Hawaii
and
USS North Carolina
, it forms Block I. These were the first submarines to use modular design instead of building the entire unit. helmet. With a length of 115 meters and a displacement of 8,000 tons, the unit cost was less than 2,000 million dollars. Target price was very important during a period of budget cuts.

Virginia

introduced many technological improvements. A modular mast system stands out, which combines various masts previously used on submarines into a single mechanism. It was a space saver. A snorkel mast, two communications antenna masts, two satellite communications masts, an AN/BPS-16 radar, AN/BLQ-10 electronic warfare equipment and two photonic masts were integrated. The photonic masts were a very important innovation, replacing the classic optical periscope with a set of cameras and sensors that move the view from outside to inside the combat camera. A traditional periscope tube intersects the pressure hull, creating a weakness in it, while at the same time forcing the combat camera to be placed in an elevated position close to the curvature of the hull. The Photon Mast eliminates all of this and allows the combat camera to be placed one deck lower, making it larger and more capable.

The Virginia class includes a command and control system module with touch screens, as well as a direction and dive system controlled by four buttons and a two-axis joystick. All sensors, countermeasures technologies, navigation and weapons control are integrated. The noise level of Virginia - class submarines is the same as that of Seawolf - class submarines , and the acoustic signature is inferior to that of Shark - class submarines . To achieve a low acoustic signature, new anechoic liner designs, insulated modular deck designs and new propulsion technology were included.

In addition, the torpedo chamber is reconfigured to accommodate the special forces crew with all their equipment and space for the integration of future useful modules. There is also a camera for divers.

Block III and IV

Initial armament (Block I and II) consisted of a 12-cell vertical missile launcher (VLS) and four 533 mm torpedo tubes. The launchers could launch Mk.48 torpedoes, UGM-109 Tactical Tomahawk missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. In Blocks III and IV the VLS was replaced by two Virginia payload tubes

large diameter. Each VPT is capable of launching six Tomahawk missiles. Other differences between the first four blocks relate to improved LAB (Large Aperture Bow) sonars, improvements in service aspects and others.

The US Navy decided to improve performance due to the arrival of the Russian Yasen-class Project 885 ship. Block III involved upgrading the entire submarine to facilitate the inclusion of a new water-backed large aperture sonar (LAB) and two large payload tubes. Improvements to operations and maintenance have also been included, which will mean much less time in dry dock and therefore the ships will have more time to deploy. Starting with Block III, silent engine room technologies are included to make the submarine more difficult to detect, a new vertical layout, and new materials for silent hull plating.

V block

Block V is a $2,400 million per submarine unit. The ships will be built at three shipyards (General Dynamics, Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries) and will be delivered between 2025 and 2029. The first submarine will be produced as Block IV, and eight more will be produced as Block V. The most important thing about Block V is the Virginia payload module.

, a container designed specifically for new submarines.
Greater versatility is required to allow different missions to be performed according to needs. The module is located in the central part of the body, after the VAC of blocks III and IV, which means the body is lengthened by 21 meters. Virginia Block V will be able to carry 28 Tomahawk missiles in the VPM and another 12 in the VPT, while retaining four torpedo tubes. The MPV will be able to use new longer-range missiles and new anti-ship missiles, such as future hypersonic missiles being developed, as well as launch and recover drones, airborne and underwater. These improvements are valued at approximately $500 million. These were savings in maintenance costs and by reducing the number of units in service as new submarines retire the Los Angeles
.

The Block V submarines will partially replace four submarine-launched cruise missile submarines (SSGNs). These are modifications made in the early 2000s from surplus Ohio-classes.

Each SSGN carries up to 154 Tomahawks.

Stealth

Both boats were made taking into account almost a century of experience in the struggle of submariners for stealth and low noise, but both types have compromise solutions.

"Virginia", created with an eye to saving the budget, is quite compact - the underwater displacement is about 7900 tons. On the one hand, this reduces noise by reducing the surface area of the housing washed by water. On the other hand, it does not allow the effective use of a number of the latest developments in the field of sound insulation of units and mechanisms. Closely!

In addition, the Virginia, traditionally for Americans, is a single-hull boat - its durable hull is not covered from the outside by a second, lightweight shell hull. Because of this, the fairings of some systems protrude outside the body and contribute to the formation of telltale bubbles. The noise from their collapse can give the boat away to an enemy acoustician. Stealth is partly improved by the water-jet propulsion system - the “Archimedean propeller”, which can significantly reduce noise compared to traditional propellers, but at the cost of low speed.

In general, according to some estimates, the Virginia is inferior in stealth to the previous project, the SSN-21 Seawolf, and is slightly superior to the Advanced Los Angeles class boats.

"Ash" is larger - almost 14,000 tons under water. This is due to the double-hull design of the submarine and the range of weapons and equipment. Dimensions, on the one hand, increase the likelihood of detection by acoustic means: more surface area of the body washed by water means more noise. “Ash” is also easier to detect using magnetic means – it has a large mass of steel. On the other hand, an almost half a meter larger internal diameter of a durable body gives a gain of many hundreds of cubic meters of useful volume. This allows you to place “noisy” units and noise reduction means in an optimal way, minimizing sound leakage as much as possible.

K-560 “Severodvinsk” (photo: Source)

Traditionally for the Russian submarine, Yasen has a double-hull design. As a result, there are significantly fewer protruding parts left on the outside than on an American submarine: as much as possible is removed from the flow into the inter-hull space, which increases streamlining and reduces noise levels.

Ours didn’t bother with the “Archimedean screw” - for the “Ash”, one of whose tasks is to hunt aircraft carrier formations, maximum speed is important.

However, it didn't do much harm. Modern units and powerful “noise suppressors”, combined with excellent hydrodynamic characteristics, make the “Yasen” significantly quieter compared to the “Shchuka-B” - multi-purpose boats of the previous project 971. Taking into account the fact that the later boats of the 971 project are considered quieter than the same “improved Los Angeles”, “Ash” surpasses “Virginia” in this parameter.

Rating:

"Ash" - 4.5 "Virginia" - 4

Americans believe that Virginia-V could be better for the money

We are already accustomed to the fact that, thanks to such cool guys as The National Interest, Purple & Heart and others, everything made and invented in the USA has two categories: good and very good.
No, of course, F-22s also happen, but this is an evolutionary process, so anything can happen.

With us, it’s usually NIAM (“Having No Analogues in the World”), and everything is simply excellent. So it’s normal to praise your own and criticize someone else’s. It’s not normal to scold/criticize your own, you need to have steel in your pants and a conscience in your head. And today there is tension everywhere, both in the Old World and in the New.

But then an article by David Ax, already familiar to us, appeared in NI, who is already like family to us precisely because he has, if not a bell, then a bell ringing there. Steel. And David is sometimes very interesting to read, because he chooses expressions, but he knows how to convey the essence.

The article flashed (article), but we saw it. And it became interesting, what didn’t old David like this time?

And he decided to walk through the submarines.

It turns out that the newest submarine of the US Navy, that is, the new generation Virginia, which in the future is a shield to deter us (no one knows where, but it doesn’t matter, in general), could be much larger and more advanced.

In 2013, the Navy reviewed as many as five designs for nuclear weapons carrier boats. And the smallest and (naturally) cheapest option was chosen.

This is what causes the righteous anger of David Ax. Quite logical and reasonable, by the way.

The fact is that the new “Virginia” is not at all what American missiles are now carrying across the seas. This is a completely different ship, despite the fact that the name is the same.

So the Navy considered five boat designs. And they are increasingly larger than the existing Virginia, which is 115 meters long. The shortest of the new ones is 137 meters, and the longest is 146.

But it's not about the length. The point is the so-called “block” system of the new submarines. Each boat included in the contract, and there are nine of them, is truly modular. And the main highlight is the so-called “payload module”, which is a block of four vertical tubes that can be used in different ways.

The module is located behind the reactor block, it is accessible from inside the boat, the pipes open into the water both from above and from below. This module should not be confused with standard launchers (revolving type on boats of the third series); Tomahawks can be launched from the launcher, and from the tubes of the payload module, in addition to Tomahawks, submariners, controlled vehicles and robots can be launched.

Even if you simply load these tubes with Tomahawks, the launch kit of the new Virginia increases to 40 missiles. Which is already a very powerful argument in confrontations with a potential enemy (read: Russia).

So, the US Navy really wants the new generation of boats, the so-called Block V, to replace the boats of the first iteration, Block I (Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii), since the latter , which are more than 20 years old, are already outdated. And in 2025-2030 they will all be recycled.

Meanwhile, these four submarines carry a total of almost two hundred Axes, and the United States cannot afford to weaken its fleet so much. Nine Block V Virginias could make up for almost half of the missile shortage, and the next series, Block VI and Block VII, could compensate for the decommissioning of the Block II and Block III series boats.

However, even in the USA everything is not as simple as we would like. It turns out that even there there are problems... with money!

Under the Barack Obama administration, money became not only bad, but... I would interpret this word as “stressful.” And so in 2013, what David Ax is talking about happened: the Navy chose the least expensive boat configuration. The budget was saved, but is it that good?

On the one hand, maintaining the original number of boats being built and the fact that the budget did not suffer is good for the Americans. The bad thing is that, according to Ax, in order to save money, the cheapest option for equipping the boats was chosen, which cannot but affect the combat qualities of the nuclear submarine.

The savings affected the sheathing materials, which made the boats noisier and, accordingly, easier to detect by search engines.

The fleet management rejected the longest hull options (for the same financial reasons), which is why it was necessary to greatly reduce the space of some compartments in order to accommodate the mechanisms for accessing the pipes of the multifunctional module of the boat without increasing the diameter of the boat.

In general, it is very logical. To keep the cost of the Block V boat as close as possible to its $2.5 billion target price, the Navy chose a less expensive option. An external protrusion was simply added to the body, in which access mechanisms to the module pipes were placed.

And then, during testing, problems began. This “turtle shell” began to create hydrodynamic and acoustic problems, especially at high speeds. Critical articles began to appear first in the official magazine of the US Navy's submarine forces, and then other publications picked up the baton.

According to the authors of the criticism (for example, retired captains Carl Haslinger and John Pavlos), cost savings led to the fact that the naval command made it easier for a potential enemy (us) to sonar and acoustic search for the latest submarines. Especially sonar.

It is clear that it is difficult to achieve an ideal shape (that is, a drop) for a submarine. But anything that protrudes beyond the body unwittingly creates turbulence and noise. The Americans were very fond of our 667 series submarines of all modifications for their massive conning towers, which made such noise that these boats were quite easy to find and track.

Yes, modern boats have a small deckhouse and are already aerodynamically improved. This also applies to Block V boats. The issue concerns not only “clean” aerodynamic shapes, but also a coating that reduces water turbulence.

Is it worth saving on this? Many analysts in the US believe that it is impossible. That there is no point in developing new, very low-noise submarines at all if there is no money to build them.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yes, in the near future, Americans will apparently have to face what we already went through in the 90s...

Impact capabilities

Both types are multi-purpose boats with combined weapons: torpedoes, cruise missiles, mines... but what a different set! The Virginias of the 3rd and 4th series (Block III and IV) currently under construction have 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles, while the 4th series boats have them in two vertical launchers with six missiles each; and four torpedo tubes with 25 torpedoes for them. Some torpedoes can be replaced with sea mines - about two of them instead of one torpedo.

USS Virginia (SSN-774)

“Ash” carries 10 torpedo tubes with an ammunition capacity of 30 torpedoes (instead of which you can take mines with you). Such an arsenal provides a wide range of scenarios - from the formation of a multi-torpedo salvo against a detachment of warships or a convoy to an underwater “duel” with two or three opponents at the same time.

On submarines of both types, torpedo tubes are located in the hulls on the sides at an angle, in the area of the retractable device fencing (which is often mistakenly called the wheelhouse). For American submarines, such placement has been traditional since the 1960s; in domestic practice, it was used for the first time on production boats - previously, torpedo tubes were installed in the bow.

The advantage of the “American” approach is the ability to place a large-diameter hydroacoustic antenna in the bow of the boat. The disadvantage is the impossibility of launching at high speeds (above 13-15 knots): torpedoes emerging from the apparatus at an angle to the hull can be damaged by the oncoming flow of water.

However, the main weapon of Project 885 is not torpedoes at all, but eight vertical launchers in the middle part of the hull, each of which can accommodate four cruise missiles of the Onyx and Caliber complexes, for a total of 32. Compared to 12 tomahawks, which capable of attacking only ground targets, this is both a more powerful and more diverse set - given the extensive range of missiles within the same "Caliber". Unmanned underwater vehicles of various types can also be used from these launchers. In the coming years, the modernized Yasen will receive replaceable container launchers that can accommodate either four Onyx or five more compact Caliber, which will allow the maximum missile ammunition capacity to be increased to 40 units.

Rating:

"Ash" - 5 "Virginia" - 3

Anton Zheleznyak Technical and engineering expert
No, of course, in the second half of the 2020s, the US Navy will begin to receive Virginia 5-series (Block V), with VPM - Virginia Payload Module - embedded in the hull, which contain four launchers for seven missiles each. Then the total ammunition load of the “tomahawks” will also increase to 40. These installations will probably launch other types of missiles (they have yet to be developed), as well as underwater robots. But for now all this is in the plans. It is worth noting that in this version, the Virginias will no longer be compact, but this obviously will not add power to them and speed.

Prospects for the construction of Virginia-class multipurpose nuclear submarines (USA)

Ceremony of acceptance into the Navy of the lead submarine of the project, USS Virginia (SSN-774), October 23, 2004. Photo US Navy

In October 2004, the US Navy accepted the multi-purpose nuclear submarine USS Virginia (SSN-774), the lead ship of the project of the same name. The construction of such nuclear submarines continues to this day, and the fleet has received almost two dozen pennants. Current plans call for continued construction of these boats over the next few decades. Deeply modernized Virginias will be able to serve almost until the end of the century.

Ships in service

The first order for the construction of new Virginia-class nuclear submarines appeared in September 1998. It provided for the construction of the lead ship of the same name and three production boats.
This was the first version of the project, known as Block I. The laying of the first submarine took place about a year later. In August 2003, the submarine USS Virginia (SSN-774) was launched, and in October 2004, it was delivered to the customer. In August 2003, the US Navy ordered a second batch of six nuclear submarines, the so-called. Block II. This version of the project had some differences, based on the experience of construction and testing of its predecessors, and also increased the tactical, technical and operational characteristics. The laying of the nuclear submarines of the second series took place in 2007-11, they were delivered from 2008 to 2013.

Since 2012, Block III submarines have been built. The eighth hull of this modification was laid down in 2016. The first ship of the series was introduced into the fleet in October 2014, and the last began service in the spring of last year.

The last Virginia built, USS Vermont (SSN-792) undergoing trials, October 2022. Photo US Navy

Just a couple of weeks after this, the nuclear submarine USS Vermont (SSN-792) was transferred to the fleet. It was built under a contract dated April 2014, which provided for the delivery of 10 ships of the new Block IV modification. At the moment, Vermont is the only representative of its version of the project that has been brought into operation. As part of the entire Virginia project, this is the 19th and so far the last completed pennant.

During construction

At the moment, the main task of American shipbuilding within the framework of the Virginia project is to continue and complete the construction of Block IV submarines.
The 2014 order is divided between General Dynamics Electric Boat (Groton) and Newport News Shipbuilding from Huntington Ingalls Industries (Newport News). Six new boats, including the lead one, were ordered to be built by GDEB, the rest will be supplied by NNS. The Block IV order began in 2022 with the laying down of the USS Vermont (SSN-792) and USS Oregon (SSN-793) at the GDEB shipyard. NNS joined the work in May 2018, beginning construction of the USS Montana (SSN-794). In 2022 and 2022 four ships were laid down at two enterprises. The last ceremony of this kind took place on December 11, 2022 and launched the construction of the nuclear submarine USS Massachusetts (SSN-798), the eighth ship in the series. Two more submarines have not yet been laid down.

The Navy planned to commission one new Block IV submarine each year, starting in 2022. The last ships will be delivered to the fleet in 2027. However, there is some delay in timing due to the pandemic and antiviral restrictions on production. Whether it will be possible to cope with this problem and avoid a major change in the schedule - time will tell.

The departure of the submarine USS Montana (SSN-794) from the boathouse, the last of the completed ones, October 2022.

Next episode

The Navy plans to continue building the Virginia submarines further.
Back in 2022, GDEB and NNS received a preliminary order, allowing them to begin preparations for the construction of the next ships. The contract for these submarines was signed in December 2022. This time we are talking about the construction of nuclear submarines of the next Block V series. According to the terms of the contract, in 2019-23 fiscal year. The Pentagon must allocate $22.2 billion for the construction of nine ships of the new series. One of these submarines will differ from the others in configuration and armament. In addition, there is an option for a tenth submarine worth $1.9 billion. Its design will be the same as the eight previous Block V ships.

At the moment, the order for Block V is at the preparatory stage for the construction of the first two submarines at the GDEB enterprise. They were named USS Oklahoma (SSN-802) and USS Arizona (SSN-803). The laying has not yet been carried out, but is expected in the near future. The next seven or eight nuclear submarines will be laid down over the next few years. According to the terms of the contract, finished submarines of the new series will be delivered to the customer in 2025-29.

Project improvements

Plans are already being developed to further upgrade the submarine force. As in the recent past, it will be carried out through consistent modernization of the existing project. Two new series of submarines, Block VI and Block VII, are planned for the near and medium term. In the future, a deeply modernized Improved Virginia project is expected to appear.

The Virginia Block V submarine launches missiles from all available launchers. General Dynamics Electric Boat Graphics

According to various sources, the construction of new series of submarines will be ordered and financed no earlier than 2025. Contracts may provide for the supply of at least five submarines of each modification. Their construction will take more than 5-7 years. Accordingly, the last Virginia Block VIIs will enter service with the fleet only in the first half of the thirties.

At the beginning of the tenth years, a different schedule was proposed. It provided for the speedy creation of the Improved Virginia project and the ordering of the lead submarine of this type in 2025 with the completion of construction of the first series no later than 2035. Subsequently, “The Improved Virginia” was postponed to a later date. Now the laying of the first such nuclear submarine is planned only for the thirties.

Technical development

New series and projects provide important technical updates.
Thus, eight ordered Block V submarines (as well as an option) will receive an additional missile compartment. The new 21 m long section of the hull will house four Virginia Payload Modules (VPMs). Each such module can accommodate seven Tomahawk missiles or other target payload. In addition, two forward vertical launchers with six missiles each, provided for by previous projects, will be retained. Due to the new compartment with VPM, the submarine's missile ammunition load increases from 12 to 40 units. Tomahawk products are again being considered as the main missile armament. In addition, in the future, a promising hypersonic missile may be included in the ammunition load of Block V nuclear submarines. Development of such a product will begin in FY2021.

Block V design and VPM bay diagram. US Navy Graphics

The project of such a weapon is known under the designation Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS). The missile is planned to be created on the basis of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) hypersonic warhead and the missile part. The tactical and technical characteristics of such a product are unknown. It is planned to be put into service and deployed on nuclear submarines in 2028.

The technical appearance of the promising Improved Virginia submarine has not yet been determined. Previously it was reported about the possibility of introducing new missile and torpedo weapons, the use of unmanned underwater vehicles, etc. The nuclear power plant, general ship and information management systems will undergo significant improvements. It is likely that the result of this project will actually be a new submarine, only to a limited extent unified with the existing one.

Today and tomorrow

To date, the American shipbuilding industry, represented by two shipyards, has built and delivered to the navy 19 Virginia-class multipurpose nuclear submarines of four series.
Two more ships are currently at the stage of completion and sea trials; they will be accepted no later than 2021-22. Construction of the Block III series has been successfully completed. Five hulls are on the stocks - these are future ships of the Block IV series. Two more orders remain at the pre-construction stage, in the future they will open a new Block V series. Then the shipbuilders will begin building nine (or ten) new ships - two Block IV series and seven (eight) nuclear submarines of the next modification.

Proposed layout of the C-HGB warhead for the CPS missile. Photo: Bmpd.livejournal.com

Thus, based on the execution of all existing contracts, the US Navy will be able to receive almost 40 Virginia-class submarines. At the same time, new orders for the next series are expected. If the contracts for Block VI and Block VII boats correspond in volume to the previous ones, then the Navy will receive another 18-20 new nuclear submarines by the mid-thirties. Due to this, the total number of Virginias can increase to 60 units.

The estimated service life of a Virginia-class nuclear submarine is determined by the characteristics of the nuclear power plant and is 33 years. Thus, in 2035-36. The process of decommissioning the oldest submarines will begin. To make up for such “losses,” the fleet will need to build new ships. Perhaps the replacement for the decommissioned ships will be the new Improved Virginia.

According to current plans, the current Virginia submarines will remain in service until 2050, and ships of later series will be able to serve during the second half of the 21st century. In addition, the possibility of deep modernization is not excluded, thanks to which the planned ships of later series will be able to serve until the beginning of the next century. However, it is too early to make detailed plans for this period.

One way or another, the serial construction of Virginia-class multi-purpose nuclear submarines has gained the necessary momentum and regularly provides the US Navy with new ships. In the present period and in the foreseeable future, the number of such submarines will constantly grow, and then the industry will ensure that the required number of pennants remains in service. Apparently, the Virginias will not only make the necessary contribution to the country’s defense capability, but will also set a record for service life.

Mobility and power availability

Targeting submarine hunting and special operations off the coast does not require high speeds. The full speed of the Virginia is limited, according to various sources, to 26-27 knots. Such a restriction does not suit “Ash”. The already mentioned task of combating surface ships requires high speed - an aircraft carrier formation in a combat zone can maneuver at speeds of more than 30 knots. This determined the requirements for the underwater speed of Project 885 boats, capable of “laying the needle” in 33 knots (according to some sources, up to 35).

The depth of immersion also varies greatly.

USS Virginia (SSN-774) (photo: Michael Payne)
The Virginia has a working depth of 250 meters, the maximum depth is 300. The Ash dives to more than 400 meters in operating mode and almost 600 in maximum mode.

Anton Zheleznyak Technical and engineering expert
The working depth of the dive is the one at which the submarine can remain indefinitely, maintaining all its capabilities. Limit - allows a short-term safe stay with restrictions on a number of characteristics.

Both submarines are equipped with reactors with extended core life and modular steam turbine units, which makes their maintenance easier and cheaper. The thermal power of the S9G reactor on the Virginia is 150 megawatts, OK-650V on the Yasen is about 200. The shaft power is about 30 megawatts on the Virginia and 50 on the Yasen. This difference, combined with a propeller optimized for high speeds, provides the difference in stroke. In both cases, a significant portion of the main power plant's power is required to operate life support systems and other equipment, including the boat's weapons.

Anton Zheleznyak Technical and engineering expert
This gap in performance characteristics is due to a sharp change in the US approach to the construction of the submarine fleet after the end of the Cold War. The series of Seawolf class nuclear submarines - large, heavily armed, high-speed, deep-sea and very quiet, which were supposed to surpass the Soviet Project 971 nuclear submarines in terms of performance characteristics - was limited to only three ships due to their too high cost. “Virginia” was designed in the 1990s with an emphasis on economy - no one in the United States thought at that time that this boat would have to be compared again with submarines built and developed in Russia 15 years later.

Rating:

"Ash" - 5 "Virginia" - 3

Units

Construction of the aircraft carrier Virginia
.

Block I

USS Virginia (SSN-774) in service.
USS Texas (SSN-775) in service.
USS Hawaii (SSN-776) in service.
USS North Carolina (SSN-777) in service. [ 1 ]

Block 2

Block II submarines

consist of four sections instead of ten, saving about $300 million per unit.

USS New Hampshire (SSN-778) in service.
USS New Mexico (SSN-779) in service. [2]
USS Missouri (SSN-780) in service. [3]
USS California (SSN-781) in service. [ 4 ]
USS Mississippi (SSN-782) in service. [ 5 ]
USS Minnesota (SSN-783) in service. [6]

Block III

Artist's impression of a Virginia-class submarine.
Blocks SSN-784 to SSN-791 constitute Block III

.
This series of Virginia-class vessels includes bow upgrades and the introduction of Ohio-
. [7]

USS North Dakota (SSN-784) in service. [6]
USS John Warner (SSN-785) in service. [ 8 ]
USS Illinois (SSN-786) in service.
USS Washington (SSN-787) in service.
USS Colorado (SSN-788) in service.
USS Indiana (SSN-789) in service. [ 9 ]
USS South Dakota (SSN-790), in service. [ 9 ]
USS Delaware (SSN-791) under construction.

Block IV

Block IV submarines

for a total of $17,645 million.
The contract was awarded to General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding. Block IV
units will have the following numerical designations:

USS Vermont (SSN-792) - under construction.
USS Oregon (SSN-793) - under construction.
USS Montana (SSN-794) - under construction.
USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795) - under construction.
USS New Jersey (SSN-796) - under construction.
USS Iowa (SSN-797) - under construction.
USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) - under construction.
USS Idaho (SSN-799) - under construction.
USS Arkansas (SSN-800) - Request.
USS Utah (SSN-801) -Order.

Block B

Block V submarines

will include
the Virginia Payload Module
(VPM), which will increase the capability to carry cruise missiles following the retirement of the Ohio-class SSGNs (cruise missile submarines
)
. [ eleven ]

SSN-802, order.
SSN-803, order.
SSN-804, order.
SSN-805, order.
SSN-806
SSN-807
SSN-808
SSN-809
SSN-810
SSN-811

Blocks VI and VII

Future plans include five Block VI submarines (SSN-812–816) and five more Block VII submarines (SSN-817–821).

The design of Block VI submarines is expected to focus on special operations forces (SOF), new weapons and the use of underwater drones.

Improved Virginia

An upcoming project called Improved Virginia

" is estimated for 2034, and commissioning will begin around 2044. The advanced Virginia-class submarine could be so powerful that the future SSN(X), tentatively planned for 2034, could be scrapped.

Radio electronics and hydroacoustics

Both boats are close on this issue.

Digital integrated open architecture combat control systems with graphical interfaces, sonar systems with large-area bow antennas, extended conformal antennas on the sides, towed antennas, etc., etc., etc.

The equipment of both types of boats is regularly improved, and it has already proven its performance, and not only in tests. It also has its own features - for example, “Virginia” does not have a traditional periscope. Instead, a boom with video cameras was installed on the submarine. Yasen also has video cameras, but the optical channel remains. In addition, the control of the boat as a whole on the Yasen is much more automated - which has been traditional for domestic nuclear submarines since the 1960-70s.

This made it possible to significantly reduce the crew - there are only 64 people on board the Yasen, compared to 135 on the Virginia.

Rating:

"Ash" - 5 "Virginia" - 4.5

The US Navy announced the christening of a new Virginia-class submarine.

Photo: Social media The “baptism” of warships is an old ritual of the US Navy. It is customary for this process to be led by a woman who becomes a “godmother.” During the ritual, the ship is given a name. This time, the nuclear submarine is named “New Jersey” with tail number SSN 796. The US Navy news portal Navy recognition reports this. During a ceremony on Saturday, November 13, 2022, the U.S. Navy named its newest Virginia-class Block IV fast nuclear submarine (NSS) after the state, New Jersey, according to information released by the U.S. Department of Defense. The ceremony took place at the Huntington Ingalls Industry slipway in Newport News, Virginia.

The new multi-purpose submarine of this class, belonging to the fourth generation, is designed to combat enemy submarines and surface ships. It is equipped with a Virginia-type nuclear engine. Such boats are called multi-purpose, because in addition to the above purpose, they can strike ground targets and support the actions of special operations forces; conduct reconnaissance and laying of sea minefields. Virginia-class nuclear submarines are replacing the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines as they are decommissioned.

The Virginia class includes a series of multi-purpose nuclear submarines of five versions: Block I, II, III, IV and V. The US Navy has four Virginias belonging to Block I, they have a so-called modular design.

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Six submarines belong to “Block II”. These are shortened nuclear submarines, built not from ten, but from four sections. Block III submarines have an improved bow with a large aperture sonar system (LAB), and are also equipped with weapons from the Ohio class nuclear submarine (two VLS silos with 6 missiles each). 10 units of Block IV boats were produced. They are more reliable than Block III. The Block V Virginia fleet also has 10 boats. They are distinguished by the presence of an additional missile control unit capable of operating in conditions of powerful interference.

The US Navy placed its first Virginia-class order in fiscal year 1998. The first Virginia-class submarine entered service in October 2004. Currently, the fleet of these submarines numbers 19 units; a total of 34 units are planned to be built. Now the rate at which these boats enter service with the US Navy is balanced to two units per year.

The Virginia-class nuclear submarine has a length of 114.8 m, a width of 10.36 m and a displacement of about 7,800 tons. Can reach a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). Its crew consists of 132 people, including 15 officers and 117 sailors and petty officers.

It is equipped with 12 vertical launchers and four 533 mm torpedo tubes. The vertical launch system is capable of simultaneously firing 16 Tomahawk cruise missiles. The 21-inch torpedo tubes can launch up to 26 heavy MK48 ADCAP mod 6 torpedoes and the same number of anti-ship missiles. These submarines can also lay Mk60 CAPTOR sea mines.

"Virginia" was developed as a counterweight to the very expensive Seawolf class submarine; it is smaller in size, but larger than the Los Angeles nuclear submarine.

If we’re talking about the enemy, it’s worth writing a couple of stories about Russian fourth-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarines.

Yasen-M class nuclear submarine

The fourth generation nuclear submarines, Project 885/885M, Yasen/Yasen-M, are entering service with the Russian Navy. It is known from open sources that Yasen-class nuclear submarines have a surface displacement of 8,600 tons, and an underwater displacement of 13,800 tons. Yasen-M class submarines are 130 m long and 13 m wide (Ash is slightly larger). The Yasen crew size is 90 people (Yasen-M: 64 people).

The submarines of this project are equipped with 533-mm torpedo tubes and missile launch units. In service: homing torpedoes, Onyx and Caliber cruise missiles; in the near future - Zircon hypersonic missiles. So our fourth generation submarines can give a head start to the American adversary.

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Multitasking

Both boats are adapted to perform a variety of tasks.

K-560 "Severodvinsk"

The advantage of the Yasen, which is determined by its armament, is the ability to fight, among other things, aircraft carrier formations. “Virginia” is of little interest in them - due to the practical absence of them from potential opponents (the ones that exist are enough for the US Navy’s own aircraft carriers). “Anti-ship” capabilities were considered unnecessary for her.

But the American boat is better suited for special operations - thanks to a special compartment with an airlock chamber for the exit of combat swimmers and the possibility of docking an underwater carrier vehicle.

At Yasen, in turn, they didn’t bother with this. For special operations, the Russian Navy has its own set of special boats. For example... However, uh... let's change it.

Grigory Pastushkov Field expert in reserve
Comrade! Don't forget to be vigilant!

Rating:

"Ash" - 4 "Virginia" - 4

References

“The Navy takes delivery of a new submarine” (unspecified). Military.com. February 22, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2012
"New Mexico PCU Delivered to Navy Four Months Early". Navy.million December 29, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2012
"USS Missouri" (in English). Register of sea vessels. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2012
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Submarine California. Navy.million March 3, 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2012
Hartford, Connecticut (April 11, 2011). “Conn. company: New submarine is being built at a record pace" (in English). Business week. Retrieved January 15, 2012
^ a b
"Navy names two Virginia-class submarines". defense.gov. July 15, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2012
"Virginia Block III: The Bow Revised". Diary of the defense industry. December 21, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2012
"Navy names Virginia-class submarine USS John Warner". Navy.million January 8, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2012
^ a b
"USS Indiana (SSN 789) Commissioning". Retrieved February 3, 2022.
Cavas, Christopher P. (April 28, 2014). "US Navy orders 10 New Record submarines at $17.6 billion" (in English). Defense News. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
"Virginia Payload Module (VPM)" (in English). General dynamics. Retrieved January 15, 2012.

Comfort

64 people in a larger hull for Yasen versus 135 in a much smaller hull for Virginia? The answer is obvious. Our sailors stopped sleeping in the torpedo compartment a long time ago.

K-560 “Severodvinsk” (photo: Vladimir Larionov)

Rating:

"Ash" - 5 "Virginia" - 3

Photo report from the Virginia-class submarine

Walter Hickey and Robert Johnson August 2, 2012

The Virginia-class submarines are the newest, technologically most advanced submarines of the United States Navy.

The first Virginia went to sea only eight years ago, during which time only nine ships of this type were built.

It takes five years and $2.4 billion to build one submarine.

Here we'll walk the Virginia-class SSNs from stern to bow and discover what makes these ships unique.

We will begin our journey in the engine room, then visit the reactor compartment, cockpit, command center and go down to the torpedo compartment.

The Virginia-class submarine is a new generation of high-tech submarines that emerged after the end of the Cold War.

Christina Shaw / US Navy

The length of the boat is about 400 feet; Virginia-class submarines have been in service since 2003.

US Navy

The boat is designed in such a way that it can operate successfully both at great ocean depths and in shallow coastal waters.

David Nagle/US Navy

To date, 9 submarines of this type have been commissioned. Pictured is Cheryl McGuinness, widow of one of the pilots killed on 9/11, at the naming ceremony for the ship as it was launched (USS New Hampshire)

John Narewski/US Navy

The engines of the USS Virginia do not rotate a conventional propeller, but a pump-type hydrojet propulsion unit.

US Navy/Wikimedia Commons

This design significantly reduces corrosion and makes the ship quiet.

Tosaka/wikimedia

In the submarine's engine room, this is where energy from the SG9 nuclear reactor propels the submarine (almost 32 mph, submerged).

James Pinsky/US Navy

This passage - running from the engine room, above the reactor, through the cockpit into the central part of the ship, is immersed in darkness so that the sailors can sleep.

James Pinsky/US Navy

The ship has an airlock with room for 9 “seals” (saboteurs-scuba divers)

James Pinsky/US Navy

Through this airlock, SEALs can exit a submerged submarine.

Andrew McKaskle/US Navy

The airlock chamber is located in the central part of the submarine.

Andrew McKaskle/US Navy

Submariners eat well, the menu is designed in such a way as to relieve stress and ease the hardships of many months of life under water.

Roadell Hickman/US Navy

As one sailor said: “It’s like having delicious food 24 hours a day.”

Jennifer A Villalovos/US Navy

Moving further towards the bow of the submarine, we find ourselves in the command center, located directly under the wheelhouse and where the navigators do their work

Kevin S O'Brien/US Navy

The command room is much more spacious than that of older submarines

Kevin O'Brien/US Navy

The command center is not located directly below the control room because the Virginia does not have a periscope.

Peter Lawlor/US Navy

The monitor the commander is looking at is the submarine’s “periscope,” a modern photoelectronic system that allows one to see in real time more than the human eye could see.

Jeremy Lambert/US Navy

On the Virginia there are no traditional ones - a helmsman, a layman, a watch commander and an officer monitoring the ballast. Their duties are performed by two officers working at two stations.

James Pinsky/US Navy

The submarine is equipped with a spherical sonar that scans all 360 degrees.

Jennifer Villalovos/US Navy

Virginia's full crew consists of 134 sailors

Kevin O'Brien/US Navy

Despite the presence of a computer navigation system, the submarine’s route is also plotted manually.

Roadell Hickman/US Navy

Below the command center is a torpedo compartment where members of the special operations unit can be temporarily stationed.

James Pinsky/US Navy

The submarine's armament is 12 Tomahawk vertical take-off missiles and 38 torpedoes.

Kevin O'Brien/US Navy

Pictured: USS Texas officer testing torpedo tubes

Roadell Hickman/US Navy

The Virginia-class submarines were designed to carry the Advanced SEAL Delivery System, a midget submarine for carrying SEALs on missions.

Jennifer Villalovos/US Navy

The only thing in front of the torpedo room is the bow compartment, which houses the sonar and is designed to make the submarine as quiet as possible.

James Pinsky/US Navy

Even after construction is completed, improvements and updates are made to the design of submarines.

US Navy

This is what the United States has in the depths of the sea

"Ash" vs. "Virginia": whose submarine is cooler?

American nuclear submarines are the best in the world. The quietest, the most technically advanced, the most technologically advanced in construction... Right? No, let me! Russian boats are better! The fastest, most armed, deepest! And a dispute for 100,500 comments. We thought and thought and decided to compare. One submarine on each side. The newest one, of course.

Presentation of participants

USS Virginia(SSN-774)

Virginia is a multi-purpose submarine, but its main purpose is to combat underwater targets and conduct special operations.

From the Russian side: nuclear submarine Project 885 (code “Ash”). The main Yasen plant was laid down back in 1993, but work stopped almost immediately due to lack of funding. Construction resumed in the second half of the 2000s after a radical reworking of the project for new equipment and weapons. The nuclear submarine cruiser K-560 Severodvinsk was launched in 2010 and handed over to the fleet in 2014. The K-561 Kazan nuclear submarine, laid down in 2009, is currently undergoing testing. Another five submarines, laid down in 2013-17, are at various stages of construction - they will be transferred to the fleet in 2019-2023.

K-560 "Severodvinsk" (photo: Oleg Kuleshov)

“Yasen” is also a multi-purpose boat, but its main task is to fight enemy surface ships and destroy ground targets with cruise missiles of various types.

Go.

Stealth

Both boats were made taking into account almost a century of experience in the struggle of submariners for stealth and low noise, but both types have compromise solutions.

In general, according to some estimates, the Virginia is inferior in stealth to the previous project, the SSN-21 Seawolf, and is slightly superior to boats of the improved Los Angeles type.

"Ash" is larger - almost 14,000 tons under water. This is due to the double-hull design of the submarine and the range of weapons and equipment. Dimensions, on the one hand, increase the likelihood of detection by acoustic means: more surface area of the body washed by water means more noise. It is also easier to detect “Ash” using magnetic means - a large mass of steel. On the other hand, an almost half a meter larger internal diameter of a durable body gives a gain of many hundreds of cubic meters of useful volume. This allows you to place “noisy” units and noise reduction means in an optimal way, minimizing sound leakage as much as possible.

K-560"Severodvinsk"

Traditionally for the Russian submersible, the Yasen has a double-hull design. As a result, there are significantly fewer protruding parts left on the outside than on an American submarine: as much as possible is removed from the flow into the inter-hull space, which increases streamlining and reduces noise levels.

Ours didn’t bother with the “Archimedean screw” - for the “Ash”, one of whose tasks is to hunt aircraft carrier formations, maximum speed is important.

However, it didn't do much harm. Modern units and powerful “noise suppressors”, combined with excellent hydrodynamic characteristics, make the Yasen much quieter compared to the Shchuka-B - multi-purpose boats of the previous 971 project. Taking into account the fact that the later boats of the 971 project are considered quieter than the same “improved Los Angeles”, “Ash” surpasses “Virginia” in this parameter.

Rating:

"Ash" - 4.5 "Virginia" - 4

Impact capabilities

USS Virginia(SSN-774)

“Ash” carries 10 torpedo tubes with an ammunition supply of 30 torpedoes (instead of which you can take mines with you). Such an arsenal provides a wide range of scenarios - from the formation of a multi-torpedo salvo against a detachment of warships or a convoy to an underwater “duel” with two or three opponents at the same time.

The advantage of the “American” approach is the ability to place a large-diameter hydroacoustic antenna in the bow of the boat. The disadvantage is the impossibility of launching at high speeds (above 13-15 knots): torpedoes emerging from the apparatus at an angle to the hull can be damaged by the oncoming flow of water.

However, the main weapon of Project 885 is not torpedoes at all, but eight vertical launchers in the middle part of the hull, each of which can accommodate four cruise missiles of the Onyx and Caliber complexes, for a total of 32. Compared to 12 tomahawks, which capable of attacking only ground targets, this is both a more powerful and more diverse set - given the extensive range of missiles within the same “Caliber”. Unmanned underwater vehicles of various types can also be used from these launchers. In the coming years, the modernized Yasen will receive replaceable container launchers that can accommodate either four Onyx or five more compact Caliber, which will allow the missile ammunition load to be increased to 40 units in the maximum version.

Rating:

"Ash" - 5 "Virginia" - 3

Anton Zheleznyak
Technical and engineering expert
No, of course, in the second half of the 2020s, the US Navy will begin to receive Series 5 Virginias (Block V), with VPM - Virginia Payload Module - embedded in the hull, which contain four launchers for seven missiles each. Then the total ammunition load of the tomahawks will also increase to 40. These installations will probably launch other types of missiles (they have yet to be developed), as well as underwater robots. But for now all this is in the plans. It is worth noting that in this version, the Virginias will no longer be compact, but this obviously will not add power to them and speed.

Mobility and power availability

Targeting submarine hunting and special operations off the coast does not require high speeds. The full speed of the Virginia is limited, according to various sources, to 26-27 knots. Such a limitation does not suit the Ash. The already mentioned task of combating surface ships requires high speed - an aircraft carrier formation in a combat zone can maneuver at speeds of more than 30 knots. This determined the requirements for the underwater speed of Project 885 boats, capable of “laying the needle” in 33 knots (according to some sources, up to 35).

The depth of immersion also varies greatly.

“Virginia” has a working depth of 250 meters, the maximum depth is 300. “Ash” dives to more than 400 meters in operating mode and almost 600 in maximum mode.

Anton Zheleznyak
Technical and engineering expert
The working depth of the dive is the one at which the submarine can remain indefinitely, maintaining all its capabilities. Limit - allows a short-term safe stay with restrictions on a number of characteristics.

Both submarines are equipped with reactors with extended core life and modular steam turbine units, which makes their maintenance easier and cheaper. The thermal power of the S9G reactor at Virginia is 150 megawatts, OK-650V at Yasen is about 200. The shaft power is about 30 megawatts at Virginia and 50 at Yasen. This difference, combined with a propeller optimized for high speeds, provides the difference in stroke. In both cases, a significant portion of the main power plant's power is required to operate life support systems and other equipment, including the boat's weapons.

Anton Zheleznyak
Technical and engineering expert
This gap in performance characteristics is due to a sharp change in the US approach to the construction of the submarine fleet after the end of the Cold War. The series of Seawolf-class nuclear submarines - large, heavily armed, high-speed, deep-sea and very quiet, which were supposed to surpass the Soviet Project 971 nuclear submarines in terms of performance characteristics - was limited to only three ships due to their too high cost. Virginia was designed in the 1990s years with an emphasis on savings - no one in the USA thought at that time that this boat would have to be compared again with submarines built and developed in Russia 15 years later.

Rating:

"Ash" - 5 "Virginia" - 3

Radio electronics and hydroacoustics

Both boats are close on this issue.

The equipment of both types of boats is regularly improved, and it has already proven its performance, and not only in tests. It also has its own features - for example, Virginia does not have a traditional periscope. Instead, a boom with video cameras was installed on the submarine. Yasen also has video cameras, but the optical channel remains. In addition, the control of the boat as a whole on the Yasen is much more automated - which has been traditional for domestic nuclear submarines since the 1960-70s.

This made it possible to significantly reduce the crew - there are only 64 people on board the Yasen, compared to 135 on the Virginia.

Rating:

"Ash" - 5 "Virginia" - 4.5

Multitasking

Both boats are adapted to perform a variety of tasks.

The advantage of the Yasen, which is determined by its armament, is the ability to fight, including aircraft carrier formations. “Virginia” is of little interest in them - due to the practical absence of them from potential opponents (for those that exist, the US Navy’s own aircraft carriers are enough).“ Anti-ship capabilities were considered unnecessary for her.

But the American boat is better suited for special operations - thanks to a special compartment with an airlock chamber for the exit of combat swimmers and the possibility of docking an underwater carrier vehicle.

At Yasen, in turn, they didn’t bother with this. For special operations, the Russian Navy has its own set of special boats. For example... However, uh... let's change it.

Rating:

"Ash" - 4 "Virginia" - 4

Comfort

64 people in a larger hull at Yasen versus 135 in a much smaller hull at Virginia? The answer is obvious. Our sailors stopped sleeping in the torpedo compartment a long time ago.

Rating:

"Ash" - 5 "Virginia" - 3

Seriality

This is where the dog digs.

As already said, the Americans want to rivet 48 Virginias. The Ashes will be limited to seven hulls by 2022-23 (although they may add an order for three or four more boats). However, they were not going to make them in large numbers. The next generation multi-purpose boat will be built en masse, more compact and not so impressive in terms of its arsenal. What will she be like? When we find out, we will write a new comparative report.

Rating:

"Ash" - 3 "Virginia" - 5

Anton Zheleznyak
Technical and engineering expert
Well, the calculations are coming to an end. Different experts will have different opinions, but one thing is certain: today only Russian and American boats can be compared with each other. All the rest are extras: low-volume, unreliable and of dubious combat value. But let's get back to our sheep...

Final rating:

"Ash" - 31.5 "Virginia" - 26.5

Close? How to look. The main advantage of the American boat is its mass appeal, and here, of course, the “Ash” “Virginia” is not a competitor. On the other hand, should a luxury sedan be as popular as a small car? The Russian Navy will still receive its large-scale boat, and, of course, we will also appreciate it.

Shall we argue?

warhead.su

Electric harvesters. Squadron battleships type BB-13 "Virginia" (USS BB-13 Virginia)

Home » Literature on the history of the fleet » Electric combines. Squadron battleships type BB-13 "Virginia" (USS BB-13 Virginia)

Literature on the history of the fleet

boroda 03/13/2020 1073

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For American shipbuilding, the beginning of the 20th century was the time when the experience accumulated in numerous experiments and imitation of European models moved into the stage of a full-fledged school of design and construction of large modern ships. Moreover, progress in this area was as rapid as the development of the entire North American industry. At the end of the 19th century, the Americans had already built 12 different types of battleships, although they did not have any special advantages, and no more than 4 were suitable for ocean voyages.

After the victory over Spain in 1898 and the acquisition of overseas colonies, access to the ocean became the immediate goal for the American fleet. On March 3, 1899, the US Congress, by a naval act, authorized the construction of three battleships similar in level to the English King Edward VII

,two more were provided for by the 1900 program. The Americans already felt confident enough to build a large series of battleships of the same type.

The chief designer of the new series was Francis T. Bowles ( Francis T. Bowles

), the youngest naval rear admiral in US history. Although strict financial restrictions remained, Congress, given the importance of the task - creating an ocean-going fleet - increased the displacement limit to 15,000 tons. The cost of building the ship is estimated at $2,913,580.

The designer tried, within the limitations, to create the most innovative ship. 5 Virginia-

(battleships were traditionally named after American states) became the first American squadron ocean-going battleships, the first with Krupp cemented armor in the American Navy and the first American battleships of the 20th century. In addition, the ships were provided with electrical mechanisms as much as possible.

Thanks to the increase in displacement, Bowles was able to more successfully place weapons and armor. An intermediate caliber of artillery again appeared on the battleships; as a result, the battleships had 305 mm main caliber guns, 203 mm intermediate and 152 mm rapid-fire guns.

Virginia -class battleships

became the second and last type of American battleship with two-story turrets.
Thanks to this design, an unprecedentedly powerful broadside was provided by 4,305 mm, 6,203 mm and 6,152 mm guns. True, there was a great risk of losing 4 guns of 203 and 305 mm at once from one successful hit. Previously, such a scheme had already been used on battleships of the Kearsarge type.
Initially, it was planned to sheathe the bottom of only three ships in the series with copper, which would protect the ships from fouling with shells in the tropics, but in the end all five were sheathed - the zone of American interests grew before our eyes.

Bowles, by increasing the height of the sides to 5.9 m, achieved a significant improvement in the seaworthiness of ships, replaced wooden parts with metal ones, and replaced the wooden deck covering with linoleum. A coferdam filled with cellulose was additionally placed behind the armor belt. The experience of the American-Spanish and Japanese-Chinese wars spoke of the danger of fires after shelling by rapid-fire artillery.

The godmother of the lead ship, launched on April 6, 1904 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company shipyard, was the daughter of Virginia Governor Gay Montague. American journalists immediately declared it the most powerful ship in the world, which was, to put it mildly, an exaggeration. The USS Virginia
(BB-13)
was the fifth ship named after the state of Virginia. She became the 13th 1st rank battleship in the US Navy.

"Virginia" USS Virginia BB-13

"Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company."
Laid down on May 21, 1902.
Launched on April 6, 1904. Entered service on May 7, 1906. Sunk as a target in 1923. "Nebraska" USS Nebraska BB-14
Laid down on July 4.
1902. Launching 10/7/1904. Entered service on July 1, 1907 .
Scrapped 1923
"Georgia" USS Georgia BB-15
Laid down 08/31/1901.
Launching 10/11/1904. Entered service on September 24, 1906. Scrapped 1923 "New Jersey" USS New Jersey BB-16
Laid down 04/3/1902. Launching 11.11. 1904. Entered service on May 12, 1906. Sunk as a target in 1923.
Rhode Island USS Rhode Island BB-17
Laid down May 1, 1902. Launching 17.05. 1904. Entered service on 02/19/1906. Sunk as a target in 1924.

Displacement 14,980 tons. Maximum length 134.49 m. Beam 23.24 m. Draft 7.24 m.

Reservations - Krupp armor belt: 152-279 mm
Main battery barbettes: 152-254 mm Main battery turrets: 152 (upper) 305 (lower) mm SK casemates: 152 mm Command room: 229 mm Deck: 39-76 mm

Engines: 12 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, two 3-cylinder steam engines, 19,000 hp. With. Propulsion - 2 screws. Maximum speed 19 knots. Cruising range - 4860 miles at 10 knots. Crew 812 people.

Armament-2 × 2 - 305 mm/40 Mark III, 4 x 2 - 203 mm/45 Mark VI, 12 × 1 - 152 mm/50 Mark VI/VIII, 12 × 76 mm/50 Mark VI, 12 × 3-pounder Driggs-Schroeder Mark I. Mine and torpedo armament - 4 × 533 mm submarine TT

Almost immediately after finishing painting the hull, the ship received new fire control devices, as well as a radio station, which was successfully tested in October 1907. At the end of February 1908, the originally installed traditional foremast was replaced with a hyperboloid Shukhov design. The mainmast was replaced between April and May 1910. In 1909-1910, the ship was equipped with 47 mm 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I guns instead of 47 mm Driggs-Schroeder Mark I guns. In December 1918 USS Virginia

was converted to transport troops returning from Europe.

, boilers were replaced on Virginia
and
Georgia Simultaneously with the replacement of the boilers, an additional 152 mm 6″/50 Mark VIII gun, 6 76 mm 3″/50 Mark VI guns and two 76 mm 3″/52 Mark X guns were installed. By the end of the war, armament: 4,305- mm, 8 203 mm, 8 76 mm and 2 76 mm zen.

All ships were removed from the fleet in 1923 in accordance with the restrictions established by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922.

"Virginia"

had a high-sided smooth-deck hull. Both main caliber turrets were located on the same level and were raised high above sea level (previous American high-sided battleships usually had a stern turret with a deck lower than the bow one). The silhouette featured a box-shaped superstructure, standard for American shipbuilding, with three tall chimneys and a two-tier battery, combat masts with numerous tops and two bridges. The crew of the lead ship was 916 people, which was almost 100 people more than the crew on the sisterships.

The ships were powered by two steam engines with a total power of 19,000 hp. With. "Virginia"

and
Georgia
initially received 24 Nikloss boilers.
The rest had twelve Babcock and Wilcox boilers, which provided a maximum speed of 19 knots. On the Virginia,
as an experiment, the power plant had a two-shaft design with propellers rotating in different directions.
This was done to achieve higher efficiency of the rudders. During testing, the Virginia
managed to achieve a power of 25,463 hp and reach a speed of 19.5 knots.
With a full supply of coal, the battleships with Nickloss boilers had a range of 3825 nautical miles at 10 knots (18.5 km/h), Nebraska
- 5950, the rest - 4860. The modernized
Virginia
had a tactical diameter at 12 knots 478 yards at turning to starboard and 455 yards to port.

For the first time in the American Navy, the entire armor of the ships was made of Krupp armor. The main armored belt had a total height of 2.43 m (0.91 m above and 1.52 m below the waterline). In the central part, 58.5 m long, the armor thickness was 279 mm, above and below the thickness decreased to 203 mm. Toward the ends, the thickness of the armor decreased step by step, first to 152-114 mm, then to 127-102 mm, and finally, the traverses had 102 mm armor. The upper edge, about 75 meters long and 152 mm thick, rested on the upper edge of the main belt, protecting the side in the citadel (between the barbettes of the main caliber towers) to the main deck. On top, above the upper belt, there were casemates of 152 mm rapid-fire guns, protected by 152 mm armor. Barbettes and internal bulkheads had 152 mm armor. The armor thickness of the flat deck was 38 mm above the citadel and 76 mm in the inclined part to the lower edge of the armor belt. The main-caliber gun turrets had armor of 305-152 mm, and the 203-mm gun turrets installed above them had an armor thickness of 305-102 mm. The side turrets of intermediate caliber were protected by armor of 165/152/51 mm (face/side/roof), the armor of their barbettes was 152 mm (forward and outward) and 102 mm (backward and inward)

The main feature of the placement of weapons is the two-tier main caliber turrets like on the Kearsarges.

The design of the towers became different - its upper part was no longer an add-on to the existing tower, as before, but an integral element of the structure.
On the lower tier of the main caliber towers there were four heavy 305-mm 40-caliber guns - powerful and modern naval guns that formed the basis of the armament of American battleships of that time. The 305-mm 12″/40 guns were the first American guns to use smokeless powder, which made it possible to increase the relative barrel length to 40 calibers and achieve a high initial velocity of projectiles; they had cap loading, while a projectile weighing 394.6 kg had an initial velocity of 853 m/s, which gave a firing range of 17.37 km. The ammunition supply was at least 125 rounds for each turret; the barrels were guaranteed to withstand approximately 100-150 rounds. The armor-piercing projectile penetrated garvey armor up to 239 mm thick at a distance of 10 km. The rate of fire ranged from 0.66 to 2 rounds per minute, depending on the training of the gun crew. These guns fully met international standards, and the experience of the Spanish-American War finally made it possible to improve the procedures for loading guns and raise the rate of fire to the standard 1.5 rounds per minute. The Mark-5 gun turrets used on the Virginias
had a slightly higher elevation angle than the turrets on
the Mains
, and could fire at a distance of up to 19,000 meters (however, it was still impossible to control fire at such a distance at the time they were laid) .

Four “intermediate” 203-mm 45-caliber guns were installed on the upper tier of the main-caliber turrets. Four more of the same guns stood side by side in two independent two-gun turrets. It was a very successful weapon for that time, capable of firing at a frequency of 1-2 rounds per minute at a distance of up to 20,550 meters. Its 118-kg projectile, launched at an initial speed of 818 meters per second, could penetrate 127 millimeters of Harveyized armor. Thus, formally, the broadside of the Virginia

consisted of four 305 mm and six 203 mm guns. At the same time, the 203-mm guns on the upper tier of the main caliber turrets had excellent firing angles. But practical problems associated with placing guns on different tiers of the same tower still remained, although somewhat smoothed out due to the better quality of both turrets and guns compared to previous models. Volleys of 305-mm and 203-mm guns had to be synchronized; firing simultaneously from four barrels created heavy smoke in front of the turret. In addition, there was the problem of vulnerability: one successfully hit shell could disable four heavy installations at once. The significant weight of the massive structure (604 tons) also led to frequent breakdowns.

The rapid-fire battery consisted of 12 6-inch 50-caliber guns. The guns were located in the center of the hull, on the main deck, in individual casemate installations - the deck below the side turrets of the 203-mm artillery, which allowed guns of different calibers not to overlap each other's firing sectors. The rate of fire of the guns was up to 6 rounds per minute, with a firing range of up to 14,000 meters with shells weighing 47 kg.

Mine armament consisted of eight 76mm guns in armored casemates at the extremities, and four of the same guns in the superstructure, 25 1-pounder guns (no longer useful against modern destroyers), and four 6mm M1895 Colt-Browning machine guns.

The torpedo armament consisted of one four-tube torpedo tube installed below the waterline and designed to launch 533 mm Bliss Leavitt Mark I torpedoes. The torpedo had a length of about 5 m and a mass of 680 kg, of which 91 kg of explosive. The maximum speed of the torpedo was 27 knots, the maximum range was 3660 m, and a turbine powered by alcohol was used as an engine.

In 1907 USS Virginia

was the first to receive a radiotelephone station designed by Lee DeForest, which was successfully tested and put into service.

Another feature of the battleships was the most complete electrification. Electric drives were used to rotate the towers, lift charges into the towers, drive rudders, anchors and ventilation. This was the first time for the American fleet, and such a level was not planned in the fleets of other countries at that time.

USS Virginia

, having not yet completed the tests, was mobilized to defend American interests.
In formally independent Cuba, a rebellion began against President Estrada Palma. On September 2, 1906, the battleship was ceremonially presented to Theodore Roosevelt, and soon after, the Virginia
dropped anchor in Havana harbor. The Americans effectively openly occupied the country.

December 16, 1907 Great White Fleet, which included 4 Virginia-

(except for
Nebraska
) went on his famous trip around the world.
The Great White Fleet of 16 brand new battleships painted white around South America headed to the Pacific Ocean to demonstrate the strength and power of the new American fleet to the new superpower Japan. Read more about the Great White Fleet's journey in a separate article
.

In May 1914, USS Virginia

Together with most of the Atlantic Fleet, it participated in the occupation of the Mexican Vera Cruz and the blockade of Tampico.

During World War II, battleships carried out patrol and convoy service on the east coast. After the United States entered the war in April 1917, they guarded transports carrying American troops to France and back as part of convoys.

13 August 1920 USS Virginia

was removed from the fleet list.
"Nebraska"
and
"Georgia"
were soon sold for scrap.
"Virginia"
,
"New Jersey"
,
"Rhode Island"
were turned into target ships.
The first two were sunk in 1923, the last in 1924. On August 6, 1923, USS Virginia
and
USS New Jersey
were transferred to the War Department for use as bombing targets. On September 5, the battleship was anchored offshore near Cape Hatteras, where at 09:00 it was attacked by Martin bombers. On the third attack, seven bombers approached the target at an altitude of 3,000 feet, each dropping two 1,100-pound bombs, but only one of them hit the ironclad. However, this single bomb completely destroyed the ship. Both masts, superstructures, and all three chimneys disappeared at the moment of the explosion and the ship was enveloped in smoke. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left on the ship's deck except tangled debris and gun turrets. Within an hour and a half, the ship sank to the bottom. Currently, its wreckage is regularly visited by experienced divers.

Virginia -class battleships

were a significant success in American shipbuilding - a homogeneous squadron of five similar seaworthy, fast, well-armored battleships with an impressive broadside for the first time allowed the American fleet to successfully solve almost any problem in the world's oceans. However, the cruising range was insufficient for the Pacific operations facing the American fleet, especially for ships with Nikloss boilers, which were much less economical.

But the biggest mistake of American designers was the return to two-story towers. Despite the improvement in design compared to the Kearsarges

and the promising fire capabilities of the scheme, practical operation showed the futility of this direction. Again, the difference in the rate of fire could not be used due to strong mutual smoke during the salvo. The complexity of the design and the complexity of its maintenance, as well as the possibility of losing 4 guns at once from one hit, closed this topic forever.

At "Virginia"

It turned out great to display the flag on all continents and deal with Latin American rebels. But by the time of the serious war, these newly built ships were already outdated and were no longer used anywhere except for convoy service. And after the Washington Treaty they went under the knife, bombs and shells.

Nevertheless, for the American fleet these are landmark ships - the first Krupp armor, the first radio station, the first complete electrification of mechanisms, the first series of 5 units at once.

Source - https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5cf01f060d8ac524e68e4579/eskadrennye-brononoscy-elektricheskie-kombainy-virdjiniia-vv13-5e35d38c53de5721ccf77d22