HII completes pressure hull on first Block V Virginia-class submarine USS Oklahoma.

HII announced on December 16, 2025, that Newport News Shipbuilding completed the pressure hull on the first Block V Virginia-class attack submarine, the Oklahoma (SSN-802).

On December 16, 2025, HII announced that Newport News Shipbuilding completed the pressure hull of the USS Oklahoma (SSN-802), which will be the first Virginia-class Block V attack submarine. The milestone transitions the program from structural assembly to internal outfitting and system integration activities.
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The USS Oklahoma will be the 29th Virginia-class submarine, the first of the Block V configuration, the second U.S. Navy vessel carrying the name of this state, and the 14th Virginia-class submarine to be delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding. (Picture source: HII)

This "pressure hull complete" designation means that all pressure-hull sections have been fully joined into a single, continuous, and watertight unit, marking the end of the phase in which large hull modules are assembled separately. The USS Oklahoma will be the 29th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine overall, the first submarine of the Block V configuration, the second U.S. Navy vessel carrying the name of this state, and the 14th Virginia-class submarine to be delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding. The pressure hull is the primary load-bearing structure of a nuclear-powered attack submarine and is designed to withstand the intense external pressure encountered during submerged operations.

Reaching the pressure-hull-complete stage indicates that the submarine’s structural shell is no longer divided into major sections but has become a unified enclosure capable of maintaining a stable internal environment. At this point in construction, the submarine’s overall internal volume is fully enclosed within a sealed hull form, allowing subsequent work to proceed without the limitations imposed by open structural joints. This milestone also establishes a fixed baseline for the submarine’s internal layout, as the joined hull defines the boundaries of crew spaces, passageways, and major compartments. From a production standpoint, it represents a clear transition away from heavy structural welding toward activities centered on internal installation and integration.

Following completion of the pressure hull, the construction of a submarine typically shifts toward extensive internal outfitting and system integration activities. These phases generally involve installing machinery, running cabling and piping throughout the submarine, completing internal compartment outfitting, and finalizing hull penetrations that must remain watertight under operational conditions. As equipment installation progresses, shipyard teams and Navy personnel usually begin a series of dockside checks to confirm that installed systems function correctly and interact as intended. This stage also allows for the progressive activation of onboard systems, preparing the submarine for later transitions into waterborne testing phases. Although the announcement did not list individual tasks, it clearly positioned the pressure hull milestone as the dividing line between primary structural assembly and the phases that turn the hull into a fully operational submarine.

As a Virginia-class Block V fast-attack submarine, the USS Oklahoma (SSN-802) is expected to have a length of about 140 meters, an increased displacement of roughly 10,200 tonnes submerged (due to the addition of the Virginia Payload Module), and is powered by a S9G nuclear reactor driving a single shaft, allowing sustained high submerged speeds in excess of 25 knots and virtually unlimited range limited mainly by crew endurance. It is designed to operate at significant depths suitable for deep-ocean missions, with a crew of around 130 to 135 personnel, including officers and enlisted sailors. In terms of weaponry, Block V Virginia-class submarines are equipped with four 533mm torpedo tubes capable of firing Mk 48 ADCAP heavyweight torpedoes and deploying naval mines, while the Virginia Payload Module increases the submarine’s capacity for Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles compared with earlier blocks.

The Block V upgrade centers on the addition of the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), a new mid-body hull section that increases the overall length by about 25 meters and the submerged displacement by about 2,400 metric tonnes. Block V submarines will have four additional payload tubes within the VPM, with each tube capable of carrying up to seven Tomahawk cruise missiles, increasing the total cruise missile loadout to around 40 Tomahawks. The VPM also provides an additional volume for future payloads, including unmanned underwater vehicles and equipment for special operations forces, though the focus currently remains on cruise missiles. Beyond the VPM, some Block V boats will incorporate sonar enhancements such as an advanced Large Vertical Array to improve detection and tracking of underwater and surface contacts, and acoustic damping measures intended to manage signatures in diverse environments. In production terms, Block V units represent another step toward offsetting the retirement of the Navy’s guided-missile Ohio-class submarines by providing a greater strike capacity per hull.

The announcement also addressed the sponsorship of Oklahoma (SSN-802) and its connection to earlier U.S. Navy history associated with the same name. HII identified the submarine’s sponsor as Mary “Molly” Slavonic, an Oklahoma native with a history of support for both the state and the U.S. Navy. It stated that she worked alongside her husband, former acting Under Secretary of the Navy Greg Slavonic, on the creation of the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. That memorial honors the 429 sailors and Marines who lost their lives aboard the battleship during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

It has been more than 75 years since the U.S. Navy fleet included a ship named for the state, and the SSN-802 will be both the second vessel overall and the first U.S. Navy submarine to carry the name. The previous namesake, USS Oklahoma (BB-37), was a Nevada-class battleship commissioned in May 1916. Its service history included escorting President Woodrow Wilson during transatlantic voyages to and from France and assisting in evacuations during the Spanish Civil War. The battleship was struck by several Japanese torpedoes during the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor and was later decommissioned in 1944.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.