![]() The lead boat of the Virginia class, USS Virginia (SSN-774) | |
History | |
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Name | Potomac |
Namesake | Potomac River |
Ordered | TBD |
Identification | Pennant number:SSN-814 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Virginia-class submarine |
Displacement | 10,200 tons |
Length | 460 ft (140 m) |
Beam | 34 ft (10.4 m) |
Draft | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
Propulsion | S9G reactor auxiliary diesel engine |
Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h) |
Endurance | can remain submerged for more than 3 months |
Test depth | greater than 800 ft (244 m) |
Complement |
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Armament |
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USS Potomac (SSN-814) will be a nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarine of the United States Navy, the first Block VI attack submarines and 41st overall of her class.
The submarine would be the seventh U.S. Navy vessel named for the Potomac River, an important river to Washington DC and the Chesapeake Bay. [1]
Uniquely, Potomac was not ordered prior to her naming due to a dispute between the Navy and builder Huntington Ingalls Industries over the potential cost. [2]
Like their Block V predecessors, Block VI submarines will incorporate previously introduced modifications to the base design in addition to a Virginia Payload Module (VPM). The VPM inserts a segment into the boat's hull which adds four vertical launch tubes. Each tube allows for the carrying of seven Tomahawk strike missiles, increasing her armament to a total of 40 missiles. [3] [4] [5]