USS San Francisco (SSN-810) explained

USS San Francisco (SSN-810) will be a Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the United States Navy, the ninth of the Block V boats and the 37th overall of her class. She will be the fourth US naval vessel named for San Francisco, California, one of the most densely populated cities in the U.S. The first San Francisco was a nineteenth-century cruiser, later converted to a mine-layer, that saw action during the Spanish-American War and World War I, while the second was a heavy cruiser and one of the most decorated ships of World War II. The third, (SSN-711), also an attack submarine, is a boat that after decommissioning, became a moored training ship for the Nuclear Power School in South Carolina.

The submarine's name was announced on 3 October 2023 by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro while attending Fleet Week in San Francisco.^[1]

Design

Compared to Blocks I-IV of Virginia-class submarines, Block V vessels will incorporate previously introduced modifications to the base design in addition to a Virginia Payload Module (VPM). The VPM inserts a segment into the boat's hull which adds four vertical launch tubes. Each tube allows for the carrying of seven Tomahawk strike missiles, increasing her armament to a total of 40 missiles.^[2]

Notes and References

1. SECNAV Del Toro Names Future Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 810). United States Navy. 3 October 2023. 4 October 2023.
2. Web site: Attack Submarines - SSN . 2024-05-09 . United States Navy . en-US.