The Dodge Durango of Submarines: Why the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-Class Is the Best on Earth

The Dodge Durango of Submarines: Why the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-Class Is the Best on Earth

“The Dodge Durango of submarines.” That’s how a former U.S. Navy admiral described the Virginia-class attack submarine. The framing is correct by every credible technical measure. The Virginia-class is the most capable nuclear attack submarine ever built — quieter than the Russian Yasen-class, more heavily armed than the British Astute, and now carrying 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles per boat in the Block V configuration. It is also produced at hal…