US Navy christens 26th Virginia-class attack submarine USS Idaho but funds limited for more
At the christening ceremony of the USS Idaho, a Virginia-class submarine, General Dynamics Electric Boat celebrated the contributions of its skilled workforce and supplier community. Kevin Graney, the President of Electric Boat, emphasized the company's purpose of delivering the advantage that protects sailors, families, and freedom. The relationship between the ship's sponsor, Teresa Stackley, and the crew was highlighted as a special bond that lasts a lifetime.
During the ceremony, four ship builders were acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to the USS Idaho project, symbolizing the passing of expertise from experienced workers to the next generation of professionals in the industry. The ship builders honored included Chris Kramer, Tage Thomas Griffin, Shaun Bendick, and Josephine "JoJo" Dasta.
The event held significant meaning for Electric Boat, as the first Naval nuclear propulsion plant prototypes were developed at the Idaho National Laboratory for the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine. The company also took the opportunity to recognize the Idaho's state symbol and crop, the potato, by incorporating it into the event's hashtag, production meeting name, and even the ship's wardroom coin. As General Dynamics Electric Boat celebrates its 25th anniversary, it continues its legacy of innovation in the field, focusing on cutting-edge tools, facilities, and technology. Additionally, Electric Boat plays a crucial role in Workforce Development and recruiting, ensuring the success of the industry for generations to come.
Celebrating the Christening of USS Idaho and the Strength of American Shipbuilding The segment highlights the christening of the USS Idaho, the 26th boat in the Virginia class program, at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut. The event brings together various stakeholders including politicians, military officials, and representatives of shipbuilding companies to celebrate this milestone. Speakers emphasize the importance of the shipbuilding industry, the complexity of the work involved, and the need for a skilled workforce to meet the growing demand for submarines. They also highlight the strong political support for the Navy and the significant contributions of companies like Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding in expanding and strengthening the shipbuilding workforce. The christening of the USS Idaho is presented as a testament to the resilience and capability of American shipbuilding, exemplified by Electric Boat's record hiring in 2023 and 2024, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures.
Reaffirming Commitment to Submarine Shipbuilding: A Necessity for National Defense In this segment, various speakers emphasize the importance of maintaining a strong submarine shipbuilding program for the security and superiority of the United States. Congressman Joe Courtney and Senator Richard Blumenthal express the need to reaffirm the commitment to building two Virginia-class submarines per year to sustain the workforce and send a strong message to allies and adversaries about the nation's constancy and unwavering support. The USS Idaho, an incredibly stealthy and versatile weapon platform, represents the pinnacle of United States submarine shipbuilding, with the first Columbia-class submarine currently under construction in Florida. This ship, twice the size of the USS Idaho, demonstrates the remarkable capability of American shipbuilders.
Idaho has played a significant role in the development and training for the Nuclear Navy program. The state's National Lab will serve as the permanent storage facility for the nuclear fuel from the retiring submarines, ensuring safety and long-term sustainability. The panelists commend the hardworking men and women at Electric Boat for their skill, dedication, and ingenuity in building the USS Idaho, as well as the bravery and courage of the submarine's crew. They also thank Representative Joe Courtney and Senator Richard Blumenthal for their support and commitment to bringing resources to the state for submarine programs. In conclusion, a robust submarine shipbuilding program is vital for maintaining undersea superiority and ensuring national defense. The USS Idaho and future submarines will play a crucial role in preserving peace and security worldwide.
Honoring the USS Idaho and its Crew: A Celebration of Craftsmanship, Dedication, and Patriotism The speaker, a Navy wife, expresses gratitude to the guests who have gathered to celebrate the USS Idaho, a multi-mission submarine. She highlights the long-standing tradition of excellence and dedication at Electric Boat, where skilled shipbuilders have been constructing submarines for over a century. The speaker acknowledges the hard work of the Idaho's crew and their families, who support them in their service to the nation. She also notes the importance of teamwork, unity, and harmony in fulfilling the submarine's mission to safeguard the United States and provide security at sea. The ceremony includes a blessing of the ship, and the speaker expresses her belief that the USS Idaho will be one of the best vessels to protect the country and its interests.
US Navy christens new Virginia-class attack submarine USS Idaho - Naval Today
As disclosed, the vessel was named during a ceremony held on March 16, at General Dynamics Electric Boat, in Groton, Connecticut.
— Brad Little (@GovernorLittle) March 18, 2024The U.S. Navy just gained another Gem! It was an honor to attend the USS Idaho’s christening this weekend.
Idaho has a proud history of supporting our armed forces, especially the US Navy. Thank you to all our armed forces, and God Bless! pic.twitter.com/7PAc9PDqpW
The submarine, which began construction in 2017, will be the 26th Virginia-class fast attack submarine and the fifth U.S. Navy ship to be christened with the name Idaho. The last ship named Idaho was battleship BB 42, commissioned in 1919.
The Virginia-class, also known as the VA-class or 774-class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the U.S. Navy. The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions.
They were conceived as a less expensive alternative to the Seawolf-class attack submarines, designed during the Cold War era, and are replacing older Los Angeles-class submarines.
The submarines are built to operate in the world’s littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations forces support; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions.
The U.S. Navy's Virginia-Class Submarine Nightmare
Summary: The U.S. Navy's advanced Virginia-class attack submarines, crucial for open-ocean and littoral missions, face budget cuts in the Fiscal Year 2025, threatening to reduce their procurement rate. With 23 of a planned 66 submarines already in service, these cuts could significantly impact the U.S. Navy's undersea dominance. The reduction to one submarine from the planned two per year has alarmed House Armed Services Committee members, highlighting risks to the defense supply chain and geopolitical standing. Despite these challenges, the Navy's budget emphasizes current readiness, innovative technologies, and preparing for potential near-term conflicts, particularly with China. The shift suggests a strategic focus on maintaining technological superiority and fleet effectiveness in the immediate future, even as concerns about the fleet's size and capability in a potential conflict persist.
Does the U.S. Navy Have Enough Virginia-class Subs?
The United States Navy's nuclear-powered Virginia-class cruise missile fast-attack submarines are noted for incorporating the latest in stealth, intelligence gathering, and weapons systems. The boats which were designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions, including anti-submarine warfare and intelligence-gathering operations are scheduled to replace the older Los Angeles-class submarines.
The sea service already has 23 of a planned 66 in service, and the submarines will be acquired through at least 2043 and will remain in service with the U.S. Navy through at least 2060 – while the final boats built could operate into the 2070s and beyond.
However, the U.S. Navy's Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget request called for numerous cuts, including to the Virginia-class program. According to reports, the latest budget proposal includes money for only one Virginia -class attack submarine instead of the planned two. Even worse is the fact that while the U.S. Navy has been purchasing the fast attack submarines at a rate of two per year for the past four years, only an average of 1.2 submarines has been delivered annually.
The further reduction has sparked concern among House Armed Services Committee members, who have argued that such a move introduces instability into the defense supply chain and undermines the United States' undersea dominance.
"Simply put, now is not the time to insert instability in the supply chain with uncertainty in procurement rates,"House Armed Services Committee lawmakers argued in the letter to the Biden administration this past January. "The FY2025 budget will come at a pivotal time for the Virginia-class submarine program and sustaining our unmatched edge in the undersea domain. Any deviation from the planned cadence of the construction and procurement of two submarines per year will reverberate both at home and abroad, with allies and competitors alike."
The boats set to be delivered this year have been arriving on average 30 months late, and the U.S. Navy has delayed several major shipbuilding and modernization efforts. In that context, the sea service opted to save around $4 billion in the FY25 spending plan by nixing the second Virginia-class sub.
"We did reduce the funding to one Virginia-class submarine in FY25. But we maintain the funding for nine out of the planned 10 Virginia class [during the five-year FYDP]," Under Secretary Erik Raven told reporters.
The Focus on Now – Not Later for Virginia Submarines
The U.S. Navy's FY25 budget request has highlighted a strategic shift towards prioritizing current operations, personnel, and innovative technologies like unmanned systems – as these could yield faster results for the fleet.
The service is thus focused on the near-term, and considers the 2020s a decade of concern, with the potential for China to invade Taiwan before 2030.
As Brandon J. Weichert reported for The National Interest, it isn't just fewer Virginia-class submarines that will be coming soon. The Navy's SSN(X) program has also been pushed back – with the service focused on the coming decade rather than a platform that won't be in service until the 2040s.
Wiechert suggested that the U.S. Navy should go even further and focus on the Block V version of the Virginia-class to maintain its technological edge over China's submarines. Moreover, any potential conflict is likely to erupt much closer to the littoral waters of the Western Pacific rather than the deep blue sea, where the U.S. Navy still dominates.
The question is whether the U.S. has enough SSNs in the fleet, and the likely answer is that it doesn't. As Wiechert further suggested, it "will be the current crop of US submarines, not some fantastical prototype, that will decide the outcome of the undersea war."
If a war is real possibly – and fortunately that's still a very big IF – the United States doesn't have enough of anything, including submarines, surface combatants like aircraft carriers, and guided-missile destroyers, nor does it have enough aircraft. In a war, there will be losses, likely lots of losses. As noted, it could take years to replace any submarines lost as only about one is being delivered annually.
Even as China is out-producing the U.S., it can't replace its losses much faster. The hope is that cooler heads prevail with military thinkers seeing that such a war is unwinnable given the costs and risks that it wouldn't escalate into an even deadlier conflict.
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
You can email the author or contact us: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
USS Idaho: The Navy's New Virginia-Class Submarine Is a Powerhouse
The newest Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, the future USS Idaho (SSN-799)—the fifth vessel to be named in honor of the Gem State—was commissioned on Saturday in a ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat, in Groton, Connecticut. Construction began on the submarine—the twenty-sixth of the class—in 2017
“This is the first U.S. Navy warship to bear the Idaho name in more than 100 years,” said USS Commissioning Committee advisory board member and former Idaho governor Dirk Kempthorne.
“She was last christened as a battleship in June 1917. It’s been over 100 years since there’s been a USS Idaho,” added Kempthorne. “That was a battleship. Battleship 42 in WWII. Now we have the great honor of having an additional ship named USS Idaho SSN 799. States that have the honor of having a namesake ship, then support the ship, the crew, the families of the crew to increase habitability aboard that ship...is really quite stark.”
SSN-799 Commissioned With The Waters of Idaho
In a twist on the time-honored Navy tradition of breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow, the submarine’s sponsor, Teresa Stackley, christened the boat with water she has collected from several lakes in Idaho, including Lake Pend Oreille, Payette Lake, Henrys Lake and Redfish Lake.
Though landlocked, the state of Idaho still prides itself on its rich naval history and continuing contributions to the United States Navy’s fleet. The U.S. Navy’s Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD) is located on Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho’s largest and deepest body of water. At 1,150 feet in depth, it is also the quietest body of water, providing an ideal environment for acoustic testing without the attendant problems and costs of open ocean operations. According to the Department of Defense, the state-of-the-art facility supports the research, development, testing, and evaluation of submarine acoustic stealth technology and propulsor design, as well as the calibration of full-scale acoustic transducers.
Lake Pend Oreille is also a critical body of water to the U.S. submarine force and is used by the ARD for the testing of acoustic properties similar to the open ocean—but with less background noise, and without fears that tests can be monitored by foreign governments.
The Virginia-class Attack Subs
Designed for use in both the open ocean and for littoral missions, which include anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and intelligence-gathering operations, the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class was developed to replace the more expensive Seawolf-class while still providing a capable boat to address nautical threats from near-peer adversaries in the twenty-first century.
Since entering service in 2004, the Virginia-class subs have been able to support five of the U.S. Navy’s six maritime strategy core capabilities including sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence. It is able to do this by providing a combination of stealth, endurance, mobility, and firepower. The SSNs have a fly-by-wire ship control system that also provides improved shallow-water ship handling, while subs were also designed to deploy special operator forces including Navy SEALS. A reconfigurable torpedo room can accommodate a large number of special operations forces and all their equipment for prolonged deployments and future off-board payloads.
As part of the U.S. Navy’s fiscal year 2025 budget request, the sea service has proposed significant cutbacks, including halving its usual order of Virginia-class attack submarines to just one, deviating from the previous four-year trend of acquiring two per year.
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
Image Credit: U.S. Navy.
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