Virginia Class |
Runner485 |
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COMSUBBBS Posts: 2672 Location: New Jersey | Subject: Virginia Class A change of policy in the weapons being carried by This class of subs.\ The U.S. Navy is going to have its Virginia-class attack submarines be armed with nuclear warheads, marking a history shift in how the submarines are used. “While Virginia-class submarines can use conventional deterrence to keep adversaries in check, a sub-launched cruise missile with a nuclear warhead would be incorporated into Virginias and give national command authority additional escalation control,” Rear Adm. John Tammen, Director, Undersea Warfare Division, told Congress. The new weapon, part of the Trump administration's recent Nuclear Posture Review, is likely to bring a new element to the Pentagon’s current nuclear weapons deterrence posture. Currently, only the Ohio class and the emerging Columbia-class are capable of firing nuclear weapons. The Virginia submarines can currently fire Tomahawk missiles and torpedoes but by adding nuclear weapons, it would give combatant commanders new options and expand its mission, Tammen added. | ||
steamboat |
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Master and Commander Posts: 1814 Location: Boydton, Virginia | Subject: RE: Virginia Class Is this a tactical nuclear weapon? I thought we were not using them anymore. Is this in compliance with SALT Treaty or have we abrogated this international treaty also? Please explain why going nuclear is "escalation control"? Steamboat sends Edited by steamboat 2018-03-27 7:44 AM | ||
Ric |
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Plankowner Posts: 9165 Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Virginia Class Do you really think the Russians or Chinese care about SALT? I'm sure Putin with his Napoleon complex already has nucs on all his boats. Same with Xi. | ||