On the other hand, in the deep oceans, which are invisible from the surface, the most important battles to have control over the sea are taking place without anyone seeing them. A key part of the center is the nuclear-powered attack submarine – a silent, stalking, and killing machine that can kill with one go. For many years, these ships have been the main support of U.S. naval strategy, providing the combination of stealth, great range, and powerful firepower which are unique among most of the other vessels in the fleet. Currently, in the situation where rival countries are constructing their fleets under the water, the story of American submarines, especially the Seawolf and Virginia classes, is still a saga of technology, foresight, and compromise in a changing world.
The Seawolf class emerged at the end of the Cold War as the final solution to the Soviet submarine threat. When the lead Seawolf (SSN-21) was launched in 1997, it was hailed as the world’s fastest, quietest, and most sophisticated attack sub.
Its modular construction, deep diving capability, and high sensor sophistication placed it on a pedestal. With a complement of eight torpedo tubes and a weapons-carrying capacity of as much as 50, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles, it was to be used for a wide range of missions, from ice patrol to combat cruises of high threat.
The Cold War ended, but budgets contracted, and the Seawolf program was trimmed. Only three of the initial 29 submarines were constructed. As naval analyst Reuben F. Johnson noted, “Had the U.S. built all 29 Seawolf-class submarines, America’s undersea dominance today would be substantially greater.” The cuts restricted operating reach and slowed the accumulation of both technology and experienced manpower required to maintain the United States at the pinnacle of the undersea game.
Then arrived the Virginia class. More affordable but equally potent, the Virginias were multifaceted, modular, and easy to adapt to a range of missions. 23 were active in 2025, with others underway. The early models included 12 vertical launch system (VLS) tubes for Tomahawk missiles, but later models added significant enhancements, such as the two Virginia Payload Tubes of giant diameter in Block III, making it easier to build and increasing missile capacity.
The Block V Virginias take it even further still. With the Virginia Payload Module (VPM)—an 84-foot hull stretch containing four additional payload tubes—each sub will carry 28 additional Tomahawks, a 76% boost compared to previous designs. This will set the Block V up as the most firepower-laden U.S. attack submarine ever constructed, equivalent to the converted Ohio-class SSGNs in sheer firepower.
True, firepower is just half of it. Block V subs are designed thinking ahead, capable of putting next-generation guns on board, including hypersonic missiles. Next-generation sonar systems, such as Large Vertical Array (LVA) and Light Weight Wide Aperture Arrays (LWWAA), provide them with unmatched detection and tracking capabilities. The new Tomahawk missiles also restore anti-ship capabilities, ty as well as in classic land-attack missions, meaning these subs can address a broad spectrum of threats.
Even against other countries’ subs—such as Russia’s Yasen-M class—Virginias hold their own. Yasen-M carries more weapons in total, up to 72 torpedo-sized systems such as Kalibr, Oniks, and Zircon missiles. But Virginia Block V pushes to its limits speed, cruise missile delivery flexibility, modular payloads, and next-generation sensors, to be more versatile and technologically integrated.
The creation of these submarines is part of wider changes in naval strategy: from Cold War blue-water supremacy to multi-mission flexibility, to stealth and signal intelligence, and to the incorporation of new technologies such as unmanned systems and hypersonic missiles. The continued investment by the Navy in the Virginia class, particularly with the VPM upgrades, makes U.S. attack submarines a premier force as the underwater realm becomes increasingly crowded and contested.
The Virginia and Seawolf classes also demonstrate the power of flexibility. The Seawolf was an era piece—a state-of-the-art hunter designed for a yesterday-gone era. Virginia, on the other hand, has prospered through modularity, incremental modification, and design to meet the challenges of the future.
As the oceans grow more crowded and contested, these submarines will increasingly create undersea power, operating unseen and safeguarding U.S. interests in a domain where de facto dominance is not measured by visible fleets, but by invisible specters beneath the waves.