The Virginia Class is a class of fast-attack cruise missile nuclear submarines in service with the United States Navy.

The submarines are equipped with systems and weapons capable of attacking underwater, surface and ground targets. The features include a special modular design that allows them to be equipped with a large number of weapons: cruise, anti-ship, potentially hypersonic, and also, according to some theories, ballistic missiles.

The submarines were created in the late 1990s by General Dynamics Electric Boat, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Newport News Shipbuilding. The first in the class SSN-774 Virginia was put into service in 2004. As of 2023, the US Navy has 23 Virginia-class nuclear submarines, their production, according to plans, will continue until the 2040s, and service until the 2060s. They are one of the most advanced and dangerous hunter-killers on the sea.

In the early 2020s, the AUKUS trilateral security pact formed by the US, UK and Australia, involves the modernization of the NAVY, including submarines. As part of this pact, Australia plans to purchase several Virginia-class submarines for its fleet and operate them until the creation of a new, joint SSN-Aukus submarine.

Thank you for watching!

00:00 - The AUKUS and Virginia
00:54 - The Seawolf problem
01:52 - A new submarine
03:12 - The Virginia design
06:07 - Armament
09:05 - The submarine delivery
09:59 - Virginia for the Australia