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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Virginia (SSN-774)
Shakedown Cruise

Radio Call Sign: November - Victor - India - Romeo

To Additional Pages

Keel Laying to Launching
Commissioning

Virginia Attack Submarine: The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 30 September 1998 and her keel was laid down on 2 September 1999.
Commissioned USS Virginia (SSN-774) 23 October 2004.

Specifications:Power Plant: One S9G pressurized water reactor, 29.84MW (40,000hp), one shaft with pumpjet propulsor, Improved Performance Machinery Program Phase III one secondary propulsion submerged motor. Displacement, 7,800 tons submerged. Length: 377 feet. Draft: 32 feet. Beam: 34 feet. Speed: 25+ knots submerged. Depth: Greater than 800 feet. Horizontal Tubes: Four 21" Torpedo Tubes, Vertical Tubes: 12 Vertical Launch System Tubes, Weapons: 38 weapons, including: Vertical Launch System Tomahawk Cruise Missiles, Mk 48 ADCAP Heavyweight Torpedoes, Advanced Mobile Mines, Unmanned Undersea Vehicles, Special Warfare: Dry Deck Shelter. Advanced SEAL Delivery System. Sonars: Spherical active/passive arrays. Light Weight Wide Aperture Arrays. TB-16, TB-29, and future towed arrays. High-frequency chin and sail arrays. Countermeasures: 1 internal launcher (reloadable 2-barrel) 14 external launchers. Crew: 113 officers and men.

Size	Image Description	Contributed By/ Source
272k	Tugboats *C-Tractor 6* and *Paul A. Wronowski* assigned to Thames Towing in New London, Conn., ease PCU Virginia (SSN-774) into its berth at General Dynamics Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Conn, 30 July 2004. *Virginia* returned to Electric Boat following three days of sea trials.	U.S. Navy photo # N-0247F-003 by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Steven Feller, provided courtesy of news.navy.mil.
607k	The nuclear-powered attack submarine and the lead ship of its class, PCU Virginia (SSN-774) returns to the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard July 30, 2004, following the successful completion of its first voyage in open seas called "alpha" sea trials. *Virginia* is the Navy's only major combatant ready to join the fleet that was designed with the post-Cold War security environment in mind and embodies the war fighting and operational capabilities required to dominate the littorals while maintaining undersea dominance in the open ocean. *Virginia* and the rest of the ships of its class are designed specifically to incorporate emergent technologies that will provide new capabilities to meet new threats. *Virginia* will be delivered to the U.S. Navy this fall.	U.S. Navy photo # N-1234E-002 by General Dynamics Electric Boat, provided courtesy of news.navy.mil.
465k	Starboard view of the Virginia (SSN-774) returning to the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard 30 July 2004, following the successful completion of its first voyage in open seas called "alpha" sea trials.	U.S. Navy photo # N-1234E-001 by General Dynamics Electric Boat, provided courtesy of news.navy.mil.
280k	Machinist's Mate 1st Class James Guild and Machinist's Mate 1st Class Derrick Jones, both assigned to the Auxiliary Division aboard Virginia (SSN-774), operate the submarine's new V-12 diesel engine during Bravo trials on 21 Aug. 2004.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-003, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky,courtesy of news.navy.mil.
350k	General Dynamics Electric Boat test engineers, Glen Colechia, Jason Hartle, and Matt Derosier place a Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE) test mannequin in the lock-out truck aboard Virginia (SSN-774) for a fully instrumented trunk test which simulates an escape cycle to ensure survivable operation during Bravo trials, 21 Aug. 2004.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-018, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
289k	Instrument mannequins dressed out in Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE), inside the engine room logistics escape trunk, await the start of Electric Boat's Fully Instrumented Trunk Test aboard Virginia (SSN-774). *Virginia's* SEIE system is designed to facilitate safe escapes from as deep as 600 feet.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-001, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
310k	Machinist's Mate 1st Class James Guild and Machinist's Mate 1st Class Derrick Jones, both assigned to the Auxiliary Division aboard Virginia (SSN-774), operate the submarine's new V-12 diesel engine during Bravo trials.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-012, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
276k	Chief Electronics Technician Jerry Allan Bolte, co-pilot, and Senior Chief Machinist's Mate Scott McIntire, pilot, operate the ship's control panel aboard the attack submarine Virginia (SSN-774) on 22 Aug. 2004. Unlike submarines before it, *Virginia* eliminates the traditional helmsman, planesman, chief of the watch and diving officer of the watch stations by combining all of them into two watch stations manned by E-6 and above personnel.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-209, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
304k	Atlantic Ocean, 22 Aug. 2004, Virginia (SSN-774) has one of the most advanced torpedo delivery systems in the fleet. In addition to torpedoes, the *Virginia-class* will be armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and has been designed to host the Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) and Dry-Deck Shelter to support various missions.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-370, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky,courtesy of news.navy.mil.
118k	Fire Control Technician 1st Class Patrick Nogalski monitors the attack submarine Virginia (SSN-774) radar screens during a surface transit off the coast of Virginia after successfully completing Bravo Trials.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-001, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
525k	One of Virginia (SSN-774) new components is it's diesel generator, a Caterpillar 3512B V-12 Twin-turbo charged engine. All of the engine's readings are visible on a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-344, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky,courtesy of news.navy.mil.
310k	Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Michael Foster, wipes his face after a long day of Bravo Trials while waiting for Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Steven Savoie to finish his laundry aboard Virginia (SSN-774), 22 Aug. 2004.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-357, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky,courtesy of news.navy.mil.
225k	General Dynamics Electric Boat test engineers rest in modified berthing facilities located in the Torpedo Room aboard Virginia (SSN-774) during Bravo trials, 22 Aug. 2004. The torpedo room can be reconfigured to meet a variety of operational missions including bunking a special operations team.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-274, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
224k	Electric Boat employee Ed Robinson works with Sonar Technician 2nd Class John Parcewl, center, and Senior Chief Sonar Technician James Walker, foreground, as they deploy a TB-16 towed sonar array from Virginia (SSN-774).	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-987, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
226k	A crew member aboard Virginia (SSN-774), makes his way to the engine room through the forward compartment upper level passageway. The dim lighting helps Sailors sleep in the berthing units located on either side of the forward compartment upper level passageway.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-387, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
277k	Machinist Mate 3rd Class Steven Savoie studies ships qualifications during Bravo Trials aboard Virginia (SSN-774). *Virginia* has a goal of being a paperless submarine. All of the boat's logs, manuals, and qualifications are kept on laptops, or PDA's.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-017, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
147k	The sun begins to set on 24 Aug. 2004 as the attack submarine Virginia (SSN-774) heads into port at Norfolk Naval Shipyard after successfully completing her Bravo Trials.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-003, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
173k	The nuclear-powered attack submarine Virginia (SSN-774) passes the skyline of Portsmouth, Va., 25 Aug. 2004 on its the way to Norfolk Naval Shipyard upon completion of Bravo sea trials.	U.S. Navy photo # N-5268S-002, by Journalist 2nd Class Christina M. Shaw, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
252k	The nuclear-powered attack submarine Virginia (SSN-774) passes the skyline of Portsmouth, Va., 25 Aug. 2004 on its the way to Norfolk Naval Shipyard upon completion of Bravo sea trials.	U.S. Navy photo # N-5268S-008, by Journalist 2nd Class Christina M. Shaw, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
319k	The nuclear-powered attack submarine Virginia (SSN-774) passes the skyline of Portsmouth, Va., 25 Aug. 2004 on its the way to Norfolk Naval Shipyard upon completion of Bravo sea trials.	U.S. Navy photo # N-5268S-005, by Journalist 2nd Class Christina M. Shaw, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
157k	Sonar Officer, Lt. j.g. Andrew Waldman, utilizes the infra-red function on the photonics display aboard the attack submarine Virginia (SSN-774) on 25 Aug. 2004 while underway in the Atlantic Ocean.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2653P-040, by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
350k	The *Los Angeles-class* attack submarine Hampton (SSN-767) left, passes the Navy's newest attack submarine, Virginia (SSN-774) at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, 4 Oct. 2004. *Virginia* will be commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on 22 October 2004.	U.S. Navy photo # N-5268S-001 by Journalist 2nd Class Christina M. Shaw, courtesy of chinfo.navy.mil web site.
242k	The Precommissioning Unit (PCU) Virginia (SSN-774), with the help of the Tugboats *C-Tractor 6* and *Paul A. Wronowski* assigned to Thames Towing in New London, Conn., arrived at Naval Submarine Base New London, 13 Oct. 2004.	U.S. Navy photo by JO1 (SW/AW) Mark A. Savage, courtesy of csg2.mil. & provided by Bill Gonyo.