U.S. Navy and HII begin construction of Virginia-class Block V submarine Barb (SSN-804).

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding yard laid the keel for the future USS Barb (SSN-804) on December 9, 2025, officially beginning construction of the U.S. Navy’s next Virginia-class Block V submarine.

On December 9, 2025, HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division hosted the keel laying ceremony for the Virginia-class attack submarine Barb (SSN-804) in Newport News, Virginia, marking the official start of the construction of what will become the U.S. Navy’s 31st Virginia-class fast attack submarine and the 15th built at this yard. The future Barb is the first Block V Virginia-class submarine to carry a World War II lineage into modern service while remaining part of the joint production effort shared between Newport News Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

To date, the U.S. Navy has authorized a total of 66 Virginia-class submarines, with 24 boats delivered to the fleet as of early 2025, including the USS North Carolina (SSN-777), and an additional 16 under contract for future construction. (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

The SSN-804 will be the third U.S. submarine to bear the name Barb and the first Virginia-class unit to do so, linking a contemporary nuclear-powered attack submarine to a historical record associated with both World War II and the Cold War. The SSN-804 was ordered on December 2, 2019, and as with other Virginia-class submarines, the Barb is intended to operate across a broad mission set that includes anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, strike missions using cruise missiles, intelligence and surveillance tasks, support to special operations forces, and mine warfare activities. The boat will enter the active fleet after completion of outfitting, testing, and trials, with expected global operational patterns consistent with the wider class. Its construction forms part of a sustained schedule intended to maintain the Navy’s attack submarine inventory as older Los Angeles-class units retire.

The first USS Barb (SS-220), a Gato-class diesel-electric submarine commissioned in 1942, established the name that later vessels inherited. It conducted eight war patrols in the Pacific and is credited with sinking 17 confirmed enemy vessels totaling more than 96,000 tons, including the escort carrier Unyo and multiple transports and freighters. The submarine disrupted Japanese maritime logistics across several operational areas and landed a detachment that placed charges on a rail line on Japan’s Sakhalin rail line, destroying a train during its final patrol. After World War II, the submarine earned several unit awards (four Presidential Unit Citations, a Navy Unit Commendation, and eight battle stars) before being transferred to Italy in 1954, where it served as Enrico Tazzoli (S-511) until being decommissioned and sold for scrap in the early 1970s. The cumulative patrol record of this submarine established the Barb as one of the most renowned U.S. vessels of its era.

The second submarine to carry the name, USS Barb (SSN-596), served from 1963 to 1989 as a Permit-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (previously known as Thresher-class) and took part in Cold War patrols that included intelligence collection, tracking missions, and operational support in regions linked to the Vietnam conflict. The SSN-596 executed extended submerged operations enabled by nuclear propulsion and contributed to early testing associated with the development and evaluation of the Tomahawk cruise missile, providing data for integration of long-range strike capabilities into the submarine force. During its service life, the submarine completed multiple deployments in the Atlantic and Pacific and participated in activities that advanced tactical procedures for deep-water and shallow-water operations. It remained active for more than two decades before decommissioning in 1989. The operational output of SSN 596 added a nuclear-powered dimension to the Barb lineage before the transition to today’s Virginia-class program.

The future and third USS Barb (SSN-804) will be a Virginia-class Block V submarine, meaning it includes the Virginia Payload Module that distinguishes this variant from earlier blocks by inserting a hull section containing four large-diameter payload tubes. Each tube can house seven Tomahawk missiles, increasing the total vertical payload capacity to 40 and providing space for future payload types as they become available. The additional volume increases the boat’s length and supports expanded strike and multi-mission potential compared to previous blocks. Although propulsion and core acoustic features remain consistent with earlier units, the Block V configuration is designed to enhance long-range strike capacity and provide space for emerging undersea capabilities. As the newest submarine to receive the Barb name, SSN 804 will combine this expanded payload configuration with the operational expectations associated with the Virginia class, thereby extending the lineage into the current generation of U.S. attack submarines.

The SSN-804 will incorporate the baseline characteristics of the Virginia class, with a submerged displacement of approximately 10,200 tons, a length of about 140 meters, a beam of roughly 10.4 meters, and a draft close to 9.8 meters. Propulsion is provided by an S9G pressurized water reactor with an auxiliary diesel generator and a pump-jet propulsor, supporting submerged speeds near 25 knots and allowing the submarine to remain underwater for extended periods, limited primarily by consumables. The class typically carries around 15 officers and 120 enlisted personnel who operate hull systems, nuclear propulsion, combat systems, sensors, and support infrastructure. The armament includes four 533 millimeter torpedo tubes for Mk 48 heavyweight torpedoes and vertical launch capability for BGM-109 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. The class also employs photonics masts instead of traditional periscopes and integrates bow, flank, and towed-array sonar systems for detection and tracking in deep ocean and littoral environments.

The long-term U.S. Navy plan authorized a total of 66 Virginia-class submarines to date, with 24 boats delivered to the fleet as of early 2025 and an additional 16 under contract for future construction. The USS Iowa (SSN-797) became the 24th delivered submarine in April 2025, representing the latest in the Block IV sequence, followed by ongoing Block V construction that incorporates the Virginia Payload Module. Later in the year, the Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) on November 21, 2025, marking the 25th Virginia-class submarine to enter the fleet and the 12th delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding. At least nine more submarines remain under construction, and further hulls (including Block VIs) have been authorized, with actual delivery rates averaging roughly 1.1 to 1.2 submarines per year against a planning goal of two per year to meet broader force structure objectives and potential future commitments.

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.