The U.S. Navy announced that future Virginia-class attack submarines equipped with Virginia Payload Modules will be designated as guided‑missile submarines (SSGN). The reclassification is part of a plan to acquire 19 VPM‑equipped Virginia SSGNs, beginning with the upcoming USS Arizona (SSN‑803), the second Block V variant. The Ohio‑class guided‑missile submarines, which currently number four, are scheduled for retirement by the end of 2029.

Ohio‑class SSGNs have carried up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and have served as platforms for special operations and unmanned systems. Their retirement creates a gap in the Navy’s long‑range strike capability. The Navy estimates that each Ohio SSGN can provide roughly the missile capacity of four Virginia SSGNs, meaning that 16 Virginia SSGNs would be needed to replace the four Ohio boats before additional vessels can be fielded.

The Navy press release said the VPM adds four large vertical tubes, raising the total Tomahawk load from 12 to 40 per submarine. In addition to Tomahawks, the tubes are intended for hypersonic missiles such as the Intermediate‑Range Conventional Prompt Strike and potentially other payloads. The first Block V boat with a VPM will be USS Arizona, while the initial Block V vessel, USS Oklahoma, will not receive the module. A $76.6 billion contract for nine Block VI Virginia SSGNs and five Columbia‑class ballistic missile submarines was awarded. A discrepancy of one submarine in the public plan — 11 Block V boats combined with nine Block VI boats totaling 20 — has been noted, and the Navy has sought clarification.

Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher, director of submarine programs, said the VPM‑equipped SSGNs will sustain undersea dominance for decades and provide a versatile strike tool for commanders. Admiral Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, added that the new submarines will strengthen deterrence, expand options for combatant commanders, and support distributed maritime operations.

Production constraints at General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding, the target of two submarines per year in the 2030s, and export arrangements under the AUKUS partnership present challenges. Full deployment of the 19‑ship Virginia SSGN fleet is not expected before fiscal year 2038, nearly a decade after the final Ohio SSGN is taken out of service.

The transition will occur as USS Georgia, an Ohio‑class SSGN, begins its inactivation process after more than four decades of service. The Navy projects that the Virginia SSGNs will provide persistent forward presence and reinforce alliance deterrence across key theaters.