• The confirmation: The Navy confirmed to TWZ that a second VPM-less Block V Virginia-class submarine (beyond USS Oklahoma) will have a unique Subsea and Seabed Warfare configuration, repurposing space set aside for missile tubes to conduct seafloor espionage and sabotage missions.

  • The context: This follows the Navy's recategorization of VPM-equipped Virginia boats as SSGNs; the seabed warfare variant will succeed USS Jimmy Carter, the uniquely modified Seawolf-class submarine currently handling clandestine underwater intelligence and foreign materiel exploitation work.

  • The unknowns: The Navy hasn't named which of ten unnamed Block V hulls (804-813, including USS Barb and USS Tang) will get the configuration, though it's expected to resemble Jimmy Carter's design, with Block V deliveries running 2028-2034.