How the US Navy's Virginia-class attack submarine gives the US an edge in global undersea superiority

Thu, 05/23/2024 - 12:51

The attack submarine USS Virginia departs Naval Submarine Base New London en route to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
US Navy photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Steven Myers

The US Navy's nuclear-powered Virginia-class attack submarines are arguably the best to ever exist.
The cutting-edge submarines feature groundbreaking undersea technologies, computing, and firepower.
But high-tech Russian and Chinese submarines continue to threaten the Navy's undersea superiority.

Russia's Kilo-class and Yasen-class submarines are likely considered as a massive, high-tech threat by the Pentagon while China's growing fleet of Jin-class ballistic missile submarines are acquiring much longer-range JL-3 nuclear missiles.

That does not mean either Russian or Chinese boats are the best in the world. Does the US Navy still have global undersea superiority?