U.S. Navy Christens 6th Block IV Virginia-Class Submarine USS Iowa (SSN-797)
Fri Jun 23rd, 2023
General Dynamics Electric Boat celebrated the christening of the Iowa (SSN 797), the newest Virginia-class fast-attack submarine on Saturday.
The submarine’s sponsor, Mrs. Christie Vilsack, christened the boat by smashing a bottle of champagne over the bow. Vilsack is a native of Iowa and most recently served as education advisor to the chancellor of Colorado State College. Vilsack’s husband, Tom, served two terms as governor of Iowa and is currently President Biden’s secretary of agriculture, a position he also held during the Obama administration.
The USS Iowa is the fourth U.S. Navy vessel and first submarine named in recognition of the state.
About Virginia-class Block IV SSN
Block IV submarines (SSNs 792 to 801) incorporate design changes focused on reduced total ownership cost (RTOC). By making these smaller-scale design changes to increase the component-level lifecycle of the submarine, the U.S. Navy will increase the periodicity between depot maintenance availabilities and increase the number of deployments.USS Delaware (SSN 791), the last and final of eight Block III Virginia-class submarines, was commissioned in April 2020. The Block III submarines are fitted with the new Virginia Payload Tubes designed to lower costs and increase missile-firing payload possibilities. The first 10 Block I and Block II Virginia-class submarines have 12 individual 21-inch diameter vertical launch tubes able to fire Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMS). The Block III submarines are built with two larger 87-inch diameter tubes able to house six TLAMS each.Blocks I-III Virginias are planned to undergo four depot maintenance availabilities and conduct 14 deployments. Block IV RTOC efforts are intended to reduce planned availabilities by one to three and increase deployments to 15. The U.S. Navy refers to this as 3:15.Block IV will be followed by the Block V configuration which involves 10 boats and may incorporate the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), which would give guided-missile capability when the SSGNs are retired from service. On 2 December 2019, the U.S. Navy announced an order for nine new Virginia-class submarines – eight Block Vs and one Block IV – for a total contract price of $22 billion with an option for a tenth boat. The Block V subs were confirmed to have an increased length, from 377 ft to 460 ft, and displacement, from 7,800 tons to 10,200 tons.Submarines in Block IV configuration :
Vermont (SSN 792) – Commissioned 18 April 2020
– Commissioned 26 May 2022
Montana (SSN 794) – Commissioned 25 June, 2022
– Christened 31 July 2021
– Launched 28 April 2022
– Christened June 18, 2023
Massachusetts (SSN 798) – Christened May 6, 2023
Idaho (SSN 799) – Keel laid 24 August 24, 2020
Arkansas (SSN 800) – Keel laid November 19, 2022
Utah (SSN 801) – Keel laid September 1, 2022
USS Iowa at christening ceremony (Credit: Office of the Under Secretary of the Navy)