The U.S. Navy has reclassified future Virginia class attack submarines equipped with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) as guided missile submarines (SSGNs), formally recognizing their expanded strike role as the service prepares to retire its four Ohio class SSGNs by the end of 2029. The VPM adds four large payload tubes, increasing a Virginia-class submarine’s Tomahawk capacity from 12 to 40 missiles while also enabling future deployment of Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) hypersonic missiles and other payloads. The Navy says it plans to field 19 Virginia SSGNs, with the first expected to be USS Arizona. The redesignation reflects the Navy’s plan to preserve long-range

The U.S. Navy has reclassified future Virginia class attack submarines equipped with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) as guided missile submarines (SSGNs), formally recognizing their expanded strike role as the service prepares to retire its four Ohio class SSGNs by the end of 2029.

The VPM adds four large payload tubes, increasing a Virginia-class submarine’s Tomahawk capacity from 12 to 40 missiles while also enabling future deployment of Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) hypersonic missiles and other payloads. The Navy says it plans to field 19 Virginia SSGNs, with the first expected to be USS Arizona.

The redesignation reflects the Navy’s plan to preserve long-range undersea strike capability, but The War Zone notes the new submarines are not one-for-one replacements. An Ohio-class SSGN can carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, roughly the equivalent of four Virginia SSGNs in missile capacity alone. With the final Ohio-class SSGN scheduled to retire years before all 19 Virginia SSGNs enter service, the Navy is expected to face a prolonged reduction in undersea strike capacity during the transition, according to The War Zone.