[REVISION HISTORY]

US Navy submarine missile capability expansion

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What changed

2026-08-10 03:31 UTC → 2026-08-27 15:22 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In early August 2026, the U.S. Navy announced the Naval Modular Missile (NMM) program, a family of modular surface-to-air interceptors for Virginia-class attack submarines equipped with the Virginia Payload Module. The submarine-launched variant (ER-S) allows a single tube to fire up to seven missiles, providing undersea platforms with direct anti-air and ballistic-missile-defense capabilities. The Navy plans to use an adapted RIM-174 Standard ERAM missile for the ER-S, which features a 240 km range and a 34 km ceiling. FY 2027 funding of approximately $311 million aims to support the production of 1,000 interceptors annually within five years. Concurrent with these developments, the Navy is undergoing a significant transition in undersea warfare capabilities. This includes the decommissioning of older vessels, such as the Los Angeles-class USS San Juan after 38 years of service, and the redesignation of 19 Virginia-class boats as guided-missile submarines (SSGNs). These boats will be fitted with a 25-meter payload module, adding 28 missile launch tubes to their existing 12, allowing for the deployment of up to 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles and future hypersonic weapons. This modernization effort is intended to support the planned retirement of the Ohio-class SSGNs by the end of the decade. However, the Submarine Industrial Base Council noted that retiring the Ohio-class fleet could temporarily reduce the Navy's undersea strike capability by as much as 60%. As part of ongoing fleet maintenance, the USS North Carolina recently completed its dry dock phase, and the USS John Warner, the first Block III Virginia-class submarine to undergo drydocking at a public shipyard, completed its hot operations test program ahead of schedule. The first upgraded Virginia-class submarines are expected to enter service by ~~2029, reinforcing the Navy's focus on long-range precision strike and deterrence in regions such as the Indo-Pacific.~~ 2029.

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