SSN(X)-class submarine
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | SSN(X) |
| Operators |  United States Navy |
| Preceded by | |
| Built | 2031 (planned) |
| General characteristics (conceptual) | |
| Type | Nuclear attack submarine |
| Propulsion | Nuclear reactor |
| Armament | Torpedoes and missiles |
The SSN(X) program, also known as the Next-Generation Attack Submarine program, is a United States Navy program to develop a class of nuclear attack submarines to succeed its Virginia-class and Seawolf-class attack submarines.
History
The Navy first publicly discussed the SSN(X) program in 2014, describing plans to complete analysis of the new design's needs by 2024 to begin construction by 2034, with initial deployment in 2043 after the last of the planned Virginia-class submarines are put into service.[1]
The Navy's budget request for Fiscal Year 2022 included $98.0 million to continue research and development, including $29.8 million for general class development and $68.1 million for developing its nuclear propulsion.[2] The Navy's FY2023 budget requests included $237.0 million, including $143.9 million for general class development and $93.1 million for its nuclear propulsion.[3]
The Navy and Congressional Budget Office disagreed somewhat on the costs of the new design but both expected much higher costs than the $2.8 billion for Virginia-class boats, with the Navy estimating $5.8 billion and the CBO estimating $6.2 billion.[4]
Design
Details about the design have not been publicly released and are likely to change because the project is still in development. The Navy has described its goals in its FY2022 budget request:
Unlike the VIRGINIA Class Submarine, which was designed for multimission dominance in the littoral, SSN(X) will be designed for greater transit speed under increased stealth conditions in all ocean environments, and carry a larger inventory of weapons and diverse payloads. It will also be designed to retain multi-mission capability and sustained combat presence in denied waters, with a renewed priority in the antisubmarine warfare (ASW) mission against sophisticated threats in greater numbers.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Navy Starting Work on New SSN(X) Nuclear Attack Submarine". USNI News. 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ a b O'Rourke, Ronald (2021-12-09). "Navy Next-Generation Attack Submarine (SSN[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress" (PDF). Retrieved 2022-05-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ O'Rourke, Ronald (25 Apr 2022). "Navy Next-Generation Attack Submarine (SSN[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress". Retrieved 17 May 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Labs, Eric (Apr 2021). "An Analysis of the Navy's December 2020 Shipbuilding Plan". p. 22. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
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