US Navy increases stealth patrol readiness with new Block IV Virginia-class submarine USS Arkansas.

On July 2, 2025, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) officially launched the Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800) into the James River from the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division. The submarine was transferred from a construction facility to a floating dry dock, then towed by tugboats to a submarine pier for final outfitting, testing, and crew certification. The USS Arkansas is the 27th Virginia-class submarine built for the U.S. Navy and the 13th to be delivered by NNS. It was ordered on April 28, 2014, and its keel was laid on November 19, 2022. The pressure hull was completed by September 27, 2023. The christening occurred on December 7, 2024, and the submarine is scheduled for commissioning in 2026.
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The USS Arkansas was designed to reduce major maintenance periods from four to three during a 33-year service life, which allows each Block IV submarine to carry out 15 deployments instead of 14. (Picture source: HII)

The USS Arkansas (SSN 800) belongs to the Block IV variant of the Virginia-class submarine, which includes ten boats. Block IV was developed with a primary focus on lifecycle cost reduction and improved deployment availability. The class was designed to reduce major maintenance periods from four to three during a 33-year service life, which allows each submarine to carry out 15 deployments instead of 14. Block IV submarines incorporate changes in component durability and maintainability and retain the same overall dimensions as earlier versions: a hull length of 377 feet, a beam of 34 feet, and a submerged displacement of approximately 7,800 tons. The propulsion system is based on the S9G nuclear reactor and a pump-jet propulsor. The reactor is designed to last the entire operational life of the boat without refueling. The submarine is capable of operating at depths exceeding 800 feet and achieving speeds over 25 knots while submerged. The vessel is built under a construction-sharing arrangement between HII Newport News and General Dynamics Electric Boat, the only two shipyards in the U.S. capable of building nuclear-powered submarines. Under this partnership, NNS constructs the bow, sail, stern, torpedo room, and living quarters, while Electric Boat builds the control room and engine room. Both alternate final assembly and delivery.

The armament of Arkansas includes two Virginia Payload Tubes (VPTs), each capable of launching six Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as four 21-inch torpedo tubes for Mk-48 torpedoes and UGM-84 Harpoon missiles. The submarine is also equipped to carry advanced mobile mines and unmanned undersea vehicles. A dry deck shelter and Advanced SEAL Delivery System support special operations deployments. The combat system is the AN/BYG-1, which integrates the Tactical Control System and Payload Control System. The submarine includes an optical fiber fly-by-wire ship control system and modern electromagnetic signature reduction technologies. Sensors include the Large Aperture Bow sonar, a wide-aperture fiber-optic sonar array, high-frequency chin and sail-mounted sonars, low-cost conformal arrays, and towed arrays such as the TB-16, TB-29, or TB-33. The submarine also carries electronic warfare systems like the AN/BLQ-10 and a set of photonic masts instead of traditional periscopes. These masts include high-resolution cameras, infrared sensors, and laser rangefinders, and transmit data via optical fibers to the control center, which is no longer located directly under the sail.

The submarine’s internal layout and technology reflect the Virginia-class use of modular construction and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems to control costs. Block IV boats continue the transition from the earlier 10-module builds of Block I to more integrated production structures, as implemented in Block II and III. All Block IV submarines retain the revised bow design of Block III, which includes two large Virginia Payload Tubes replacing the twelve smaller vertical launch tubes found on earlier boats. The Block IV boats do not yet include the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) that is introduced in Block V. However, they are compatible with several upgrades and carry the same number of Tomahawk missiles in a different configuration. Construction practices on these submarines include the use of pre-outfitted modules or “rafts,” which are inserted into the hull sections to reduce labor inside confined spaces. This approach aims to improve safety and efficiency during assembly. Over 4,000 suppliers are involved in the construction of Virginia-class submarines.

The Virginia-class program is structured around multiple blocks. Block IV follows Block III, which included sonar upgrades and the VPT configuration. Block V will introduce the VPM mid-body section, adding four more payload tubes capable of launching an additional 28 Tomahawk missiles, increasing total payload capacity to approximately 65 torpedo-sized weapons per submarine. Block IV boats, including Arkansas, are considered transitional platforms designed to maintain fleet readiness as older submarines are decommissioned and newer variants are developed. The cost of each Virginia-class submarine varies by block and configuration. In 2012 prices, Block IV units were projected at $2.6 billion each. Their operating cost is estimated at around $50 million per year. Each boat is expected to make 14–15 deployments during its lifetime, with one major maintenance interval eliminated in Block IV to enhance fleet availability.

The launch of Arkansas contributes to the U.S. Navy’s broader efforts to maintain and expand its undersea capabilities. With the Ohio-class SSGNs scheduled for retirement by 2028, Virginia-class submarines are increasingly relied upon to support long-range strike operations. Although they carry fewer missiles than the SSGNs, Virginia-class submarines are designed for stealth, flexibility, and adaptability. The Navy continues to pursue a two-per-year construction rate for Virginia-class boats to meet future requirements, including commitments under the AUKUS trilateral agreement. Under this pact, the Royal Australian Navy is scheduled to receive up to five Virginia-class submarines starting in the early 2030s. The Arkansas launch also comes amid industrial challenges related to labor and supply chains, which have affected the broader U.S. shipbuilding sector. In response, both HII and General Dynamics have received contracts to secure long-lead components for future blocks, including Block VI and discussions surrounding a possible Block VIII, prompted by delays in the SSN(X) program.