N700139 USS VIRGINIA CLASS SUBMARINE, BLOCK III

Virginia is the name of a class of American nuclear fighter submarines (ANNs). Units of this type have been built since 2000. In total, 15 units of this type have been built so far. The Virginia-class ship is 115 m long, 10 m wide, and has a displacement of approximately 7,800 tons. The maximum underwater speed is estimated at over 25 knots. The ships of this type are equipped with four 533 mm bow torpedo tubes and 12 multi-tube Tomahawk rocket launchers. The Virginia-class ships were developed and put into production as a completely new structure, first to complement the Seawolf-class ships and to replace the Los Angeles-class ships (also of the 688i) in line. Units of this type were designed as multi-purpose ships, capable of both destroying enemy ships (submarines and surface ships), but also attacking land targets or supporting special forces operations. Virginia-class ships use many of the technologies and elements used in the Seawolf class, but at the same time are much cheaper to produce and more versatile. However, they have a similarly low noise level or advanced electrical equipment. However, they are - almost certainly - characterized by a shorter immersion depth and a lower underwater speed.