The U.S. Navy announced that it will reclassify 19 planned Virginia-class submarines equipped with the Virginia Payload Module as SSGNs — guided-missile submarines — in the largest structural redesignation of a submarine class in decades, on Aug. 3.
The reclassification changes the vessels’ designation from SSN, or attack submarine, to SSGN, reflecting the dramatically increased strike capacity provided by the Virginia Payload Module. The module allows each submarine to carry substantially more cruise missiles and other long-range weapons.
The decision represents a doctrinal shift in undersea warfighting strategy at a time of heightened tension with China and Russia, both of which are expanding their own naval capabilities in the Pacific and Atlantic.
The SSGN designation had previously been held exclusively by four converted Ohio-class submarines, which are nearing the end of their service lives. The Virginia-class redesignation ensures the Navy maintains and expands its undersea guided-missile capability as the Ohio-class boats retire.
The 19 submarines represent a significant increase in the long-range strike capacity of the submarine force. Virginia-class boats with the payload module can operate covertly in contested waters and deliver precision strikes against targets ashore.
The Navy’s announcement is one of the most consequential fleet structure decisions in recent memory and signals to allies and adversaries alike how the United States intends to project power from beneath the sea in the coming decades.