海军新弗吉尼亚Block VI弗吉尼亚攻击艇将通知SSN(X) (Re: USNI News)
In the News
潜艇界正在接近其Block VI弗吉尼亚级潜艇的计划, 与目前正在建造的潜艇相比,这将在隐身性和能力上有所提高,并将成为即将到来的SSN(X)计划的桥梁.
Block V“弗吉尼亚”号潜艇的前三艘已经开始建造,这是美国海军首次在提高该级潜艇的能力方面进行重大投资. 而过去的街区关注的是建筑和维护效率, and incremental capabilities are added through software updates regularly, Block V设计增加28个导弹发射管来极大地增强这些弹道导弹核潜艇的打击能力, Program Executive Officer for Submarines Rear Adm. 大卫·戈金斯本周在海军潜艇联盟年度研讨会上说.
Block VI将继续这一趋势,为潜艇增加新的能力和杀伤力, 从2024财政年度到2028财政年度的多年期合同将采购哪些.
“Block VI将专注于声学优势”技术的构建,该技术将在未来进行测试 South Dakota (SSN-790), as well as “really enable that organic subsea, seabed warfare kit release for the first time.”
Specifically, he said the Navy and industry are working on improved stealth to operate in a contested environment; enhanced sonar performance through a new bow conformal array; and the ability to sense and interact with more of the water column, including the sea bed.
戈金斯说,选择这些想法作为Block VI的优先事项有两个原因:首先, they’ll improve the capability of the Virginia class in the near term, and second, 他们将帮助证明可能影响下一代SSN(X)设计的技术.
“我们将在明年评估这些能力的成熟度和可行性(在他展示的幻灯片上)。, followed by a downselect next year. And that will really allow us to mature the technology,” Goggins said.
Goggins’ slide also highlighted propulsors, improved payload and vehicle hosting, Block VI设计的特点是提高态势感知能力和增加有效载荷.
Elsewhere during the Sub League event, 很明显,潜艇部队的其他部队正热切地关注着SSN(X)计划,以及该计划可能进行哪些改进.
Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of Naval Submarine Forces and Submarine Force Atlantic, 在他的报告中说SSN(X)可以基于弗吉尼亚的设计, 可能基于哥伦比亚级弹道导弹核潜艇(SSBN-826)的设计, or could be a clean-sheet design.
“我们将寻找替代方案,并决定如何使这种新型SSN符合我们保持领先于同行的需求. 这肯定会提高速度:毫无疑问,速度对于提高每一个联合作战功能都是非常重要的. Speed is just so important – it plays out so well in all our wargaming, so it helps compensate for bad decisions, 它还可以帮助我们更快地进入战斗并帮助我们进行全域机动战,” he said.
“我们永远无法获得足够的有效载荷能力,所以我们确实需要具有大有效载荷能力的潜艇. 未来会是什么样子,它将如何模块化和可定制化,这将是很重要的. Of course, stealth is important, but not just acoustic stealth. It’s stealth across all spectrums. When this new SSN rolls out, 我们的竞争对手不仅能通过声音,还能通过打破水界面的算法探测到我们. And so those capabilities, we think, are coming, 我们必须建立并基本上保持对这些能力的保密.”
Adm. Frank Caldwell, 他是海军核动力推进项目的主管,也是海军的一名高级潜艇军官, 他在讲话中提到了三种设计方案,并表示:“所有这些的关键将是我们对速度的关注, warfighting capability, greater energy, lethality and sensors, and, yes, the next level of stealth. 我想让你知道,作为一个企业,我们正在非常积极地开展这项工作.”
USNI News previously reported that 海军的下一艘攻击型潜艇可能倾向于采用类似哥伦比亚号的船体. 更宽的直径带来了更快的速度和隐身能力. 像这样的SSN(X)设计会让人想起海狼设计-在冷战结束时仅用于三艘潜艇,但被认为是海军最强大的攻击潜艇.
In a separate presentation during the event, 国会研究处海军事务专家罗恩·奥罗克说, “我记得有一个人在公开场合形容海狼级是一艘被设计成进入苏联后院的船,在它不得不回家重新武装之前造成很多破坏,所以它被设计成一艘相当快的潜艇,装备精良, especially compared to the Los Angeles-class design of the day. 鉴于海军现在谈论的下一代攻击艇速度快,装备精良, it would not be surprising, as some people have speculated, 如果潜艇的直径与“海狼”级或“哥伦比亚”级设计相似的话, something in the range of 40 to 43 feet.”
If that were to be the case, he said, SSN(X)的直径可能与海狼相似,但排水量更大, 由于现代化的工程,如SSN(X)可能有一个更大的电力驱动系统,而不是机械的一个.
Written By: Megan Eckstein