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USS MISSISSIPPI THE US'S LATEST SUB: O n June 1, the latest nuclear-powered Virginia-class attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782), entered service. Costing over $2 billion, the 7,800- ton boat has a length of 114.9 metres (377 feet) and is of 10.36 metres (34 feet) wide. Top speed is over 50 kilometres an hour and the boat can dive beyond 243.84 meters (800 feet). As an attack submarine, the USS Mississippi is designed for both conventional and unconventional operational roles. In the traditional sense, the sub can conduct standard anti-surface and anti-submarine operations with its Tomahawk land attack missiles (12 vertical launching tubes), and advanced MK-48 torpedoes (four 53.3 centimetre, 21 inch torpedo tubes), as well as deployable mobile mines. The new sub can also manage operations most of her predecessors were not capable of. Of particular significance is her unequalled and singular operational capacity to operate as a submersed stealth craft, being an extremely difficult to detect maritime-base for direct intelligence collection operations. USS Mississippi is outfitted with countermining acoustic capabilities to limit detection signatures, automated torpedo recognition systems, and the latest electronic warfare systems, backed by enhanced data processing and control systems. In sum, she has been outfitted with a tremendous amount of cutting-edge intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance gear to better support conventional, asymmetric, and irregular warfare operations globally. USS Mississippi can operate in extremely shallow waters to support special operation forces such as conveying and deploying SEAL Delivery Vehicles as well as the ability to dispatch manned divers from the sub itself. Mississippi's ability to operate in so-called "brown waters", or low lying, unfriendly coastal areas, and is purpose designed to support unmanned underwater vehicles, enabling it to be an effective clandestine platform for specialised operations, particularly for low-intensity conflicts or to conduct highly sensitive, low footprint mission profiles. The Virginia reactors are designed to be fuelled once, with a 33 year supply of fuel that can generate up to 40,000 horsepower for propulsion or electricity for the crew of 132. Mississippi is ninth of ten "Block II" Virginias. There are also to be eight Block III boats, with some design changes and new technology. The US currently has three classes of SSN. Most are the 6900 ton Los Angeles-class SSNs. 62 of these submarines were built, and 41 are still in service. Armed with four 21 inch (533mm) torpedo tubes, they carry 26 weapons for those tubes, either the Mk 48 torpedoes or BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles. The last 31 Los Angeles-class SSNs added the Mk 45 vertical launch system (VLS), which carries another twelve Tomahawks. If built today these late model Los Angeles class boats would cost about $1.5 billion each. The 29, 9000 ton Seawolf-class SSNs were supposed to replace the Los Angeles boats but Seawolf proved too expensive. Only three were built. The Seawolf was designed for the Cold War, carrying 50 weapons (torpedoes, cruise missiles, or Harpoon anti-ship missiles) for its eight 26 inch (660mm) torpedo tubes. Seawolf is fast with a top speed of over 60 kilometres an hour and is much quieter than the Los Angeles boats. The Virginia-class was designed to replace the un-built Seawolfs. Think of it as a Los Angeles size hull with a lot of Seawolf technology installed. The Virginia class boats ended up costing about half as much as the Seawolfs, which was largely possible because the Virginias used a lot of the new technology developed for Seawolf. Source: Strategy Page – Timothy W. Coleman 2A Gilberd Street PO Box 862 Wanganui 4501 NEW ZEALAND EXCELLENCE IN ALLOY Phone: + 64 6 349 0035 Fax: + 64 6 344 3592 Email: sales@q-west.co.nz Website: www.q-west.com PATROL / SAR CRAFT PASSENGER FERRYS PILOT VESSELS MANUFACTURERS OF CUSTOM ALUMINIUM COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE VESSELS 38 Professional Skipper September/October 2012 VIP.S89