The US Navy commissioned USS Idaho (SSN 799), the 26th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, during a ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut on Saturday, according to the Department of the Navy.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao formally placed the ship in active service, with the submarine’s sponsor Teresa Stackley, daughter of a Navy sailor and spouse of former Assistant Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley, giving the crew the traditional order to “man our ship and bring her to life” before the hoisting of the colours and commissioning pennant.
US Senator James Risch of Idaho delivered the principal address at the ceremony, which was also attended by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Idaho Governor Brad Little, and senior Navy leadership including Admiral William Houston, Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, alongside Mark Rayha, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which co-produces the Virginia class alongside HII Newport News Shipbuilding.
Idaho is the 26th Virginia-class submarine and the 14th delivered by General Dynamics Electric Boat, configured to the Block IV standard and christened at the Groton shipyard in March 2024. It is the fifth US Navy vessel to bear the name Idaho, following a wooden-hulled steam sloop commissioned in 1866 and most recently a New Mexico-class battleship commissioned in 1919 that earned seven battle stars for service in the Pacific campaign during the Second World War.
Each Virginia-class submarine displaces 7,800 tons, measures 377 feet in length with a beam of 34 feet, and is powered by a reactor plant designed not to require refuelling during the planned life of the ship, which the Navy says reduces life-cycle costs while increasing underway time. The class is designed with enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special operations enhancements intended to meet multi-mission requirements across a range of operational environments.
Cool beans.
26!!!!!! IF ONLY WE COULD ANY
Virginia was laid down in 1999.. so in 27 years they have commissioned 26… Los Angeles was laid down 1972 and over the next 26 years they commissioned 62.
That’s a massive problem for the USN, because they are mandated to have 66 boats with 54 deployable.. you cannot have 66 boats if you’re only building 26 in 27 years and your boats last 30 years… all the LA class will be gone by 2035 and all they will have left are the 3 sea Wolf class and Virginia class.. so about 40ish boats.. also their availability rate is only around 63%.. so about 25 boats available.. that’s less than half the numbers the USN is mandated to have available.
It’s a pretty huge failure.
Pretty terrible for Australia, as well. It seems increasingly unlikely that there will ever be a sovereign Australian Virginia-class SSN.
It also does not bode well for SSN(X), going forward.
I think it will be ok for the SSN ( X ) the problem will be the US ever handing over a Virginia.. that is a bit problematic.. especially with an American first policy…
In the end it would not surprise me at all if the UK did not hand over an astute and run 6 boats for a few years.
J,
Hmmm … your speculation re future AUKUS Pillar I activities significantly aligns w/ my own. Virtually guaranteed that Plan Bravo includes the transfer of ownership of whichever Astute Class SSN is assigned to Rotational Force West (circa 2032) to the RAN, if the USN is unwilling/unable to relinquish a Virginia Class SSN during that timeframe. The feasibility of transferring Virginia Class boats during the 2030s, would be continually reevaluated from that point. If the US significantly increases it’s defense budget and massively invests in maritime infrastructure, at some point construction and mainntenance issues will be on a pathway resolution. Not claiming the process will be fast, painless or unchallenging, merely inevitable. BTW, fully anticipate both Australian and British yards will be extensively utilized for SSN maintenance activities. Reasonably certain both RAN and RN will be cajoled and/or hectored into completing submarine maintenance infrastructure projects underway in both AU and UK, in order to assist in resolving USN SSN maintenance backlog.
Its pretty crap but much better than our Astute disaster. What do we have available? One?
Yep it’s not great.
So when does the next off the production line Astute boat come into service. Any indication when some of the current Astute boats will be repaired and back at sea?
Agamemnon should be leaving Barrow early summer, then to Faslane prior to starting her trials/work up phase. Unfortunately that will probably take her up to Xmas. Not sure if she still has to go to Autec or not, but that would most likely take her to say Easter 27 before she is ready to join the fleet.
You can forget about Achillies for a few years yet, so that leaves the 3 boats in various stages of maintenance as Astute has started her 2 year refit. Obviously it would be v good if we could regenerate 1- 2 of those later this year, which isn’t a given I imagine.
Anson has been run hard over the last 9-10 months and will need a bit of TLC when she eventually returns. Interesting 6 months ahead for the SSN fleet I imagine.
These subs take a lot of TLC to keep them seaworthy. I guess planning the maintenance and tasking schedules is very important. Surely keeping 2 + boats available 24/7 365 is essential for the security of the UK and overseas territories.
Totally agree with your sentiments, if running correctly we would always have 2 available for deployment and a 3rd at a push. Alas due to various issues that isn’t the case and won’t get better until perhaps autumn at the earliest. Given that any re_generating unit will require a full work up package including noise ranging. Thats generally at least 10-15 weeks of time all going well.
… its defense … to resolution. 🙄
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Jonathan and Fmr USAF making great points again.
However, handing over in-build frigates to the Norwegians and an Astute to the Australians would have an impact on the DIP that a mere cursory glance at an Excel spreadsheet is not going to solve… Rachel might well be tempted into a somersault only for reality to bring her back down when defence do want 8*26 and 12*future SSN.
I think I might gave a clue as to why DIP is taking so long.
Was checking up some numbers….collectively…on paper at least, Europe has 60+ attxk subs in various forms with plans to increase that number.