OVERVIEW: The SSN 784 North Dakota [Virginia Class, Flight III] is a nuclear-powered attack submarine operated by the United States Navy, commissioned in 2019. It represents the advanced state of US submarine technology within the Virginia-class program.

DETAILS: The Virginia-class submarine program was initiated in the late 1990s to provide a more affordable and adaptable successor to the Seawolf-class. The Flight III variant incorporates significant upgrades, primarily centered on an improved sonar system. The design emphasizes stealth, modularity, and open architecture to facilitate future upgrades and adaptations. The North Dakota, as a Flight III boat, benefits from these advancements, reflecting a shift towards enhanced littoral warfare capabilities and improved intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) performance, alongside its core anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission.

The SSN 784 North Dakota's primary roles encompass anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), strike warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and support of special operations forces. Its advanced sensor suite enables effective prosecution of these roles across a broad range of operational environments. The submarine’s stealth characteristics and advanced communications suite allow for clandestine intelligence gathering and covert operations. The Virginia Payload Tubes (VPT) provide a significant strike capability against land-based targets. The North Dakota is capable of operating independently or as part of a carrier strike group, amphibious ready group, or other naval task forces.

The sensor suite of the North Dakota provides a comprehensive battlespace awareness. The AN/BLQ-10(V)1 electronic support measures (ESM) system allows for passive detection, identification, and localization of radar emitters, enhancing situational awareness and providing early warning of potential threats. The AN/WLY-1 acoustic intercept system further enhances the submarine's passive detection capabilities. The AN/BQQ-10 sonar suite, the primary sonar system, provides long-range detection, tracking, and classification of underwater contacts. The AN/BQG-5A LWWAA (Light Weight Wide Aperture Array) significantly improves the submarine's low-frequency detection capabilities, particularly in littoral environments. Furthermore, the AN/TB-29 towed array provides enhanced detection ranges at low frequencies, while the AN/TB-34 thin line array supplements this capability. The AN/BQS-15 close-range active sonar provides enhanced navigation and obstacle avoidance capabilities. Finally, the AN/BPS-16 radar provides surface search and navigation capabilities, while the AN/BVS-1 Photonics Mast replaces the traditional periscope and offers improved imaging and communications capabilities.

SPECIFICATION: Length: 114.9 m || Beam: 10.0 m || Draft: 9.5 m || Disp: 6600 t

SENSORS: AN/BLQ-10(V)1 || AN/WLY-1 || AN/BQQ-10 || AN/BPS-16 || AN/BQG-5A LWWAA [BSY-2] || AN/TB-29 || AN/BQS-15 || AN/TB-34 || AN/BVS-1 Photonics Mast

ARMAMENT: 3-inch Signal Ejector || CSA Mk2 Mod 2 [Mk151] || 533mm TT || VPT [2 Cells, 12 Missiles]