The USS John Warner, a state-of-the-art Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine, was commissioned on Saturday, giving the vessel a new look many may not recognize.
For starters, the $2 billion USS John Warner does not have periscope, which is perhaps the most identifiable sub element people would recognize from Hollywood movies. Instead, a photonic mast that includes infrared, high-definition video will give the sub its eyes,
facing the video on a large screen, according to CNN.
The vessel will also carry 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles and will be able to fire MK48 torpedoes from each side of the ship. The submarine can also launch unmanned vehicles — or drones — that can carry a team of Navy SEALS to their destination while remaining undetected underwater.
"This boat is the latest incarnation of American sea power, and is a strategic asset for this country," Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Johnathan Greenert said
during the commission ceremony, according to USNI News.
"This affords us what we refer to as global access, and it is fundamental to any mission that you ask your military to do. Frankly, we are challenged in space, we are challenged in cyber, we are challenged in the air and we are challenged on the surface. We are not currently challenged in the undersea. We own the undersea domain. We must keep that situation as we go into the future."
The sub is named for former U.S. Naval secretary and U.S. Senator John Warner. The 88-year-old former Marine and Korean War veteran said in his remarks that the ship will help keep the waterways safe for all.
"Defend the sea lanes of the world which are the very arteries of international commerce," Warner said in his statements during the commission ceremony. "Manned by our submarines, our surface ships, and naval aircraft, we are carefully working to keep those sea lanes open — not just for us but for all."
Tyler Rogoway, of the Foxtrot Alpha blog, wrote that the John Warner and other Virginia-class subs coming online are being built to accommodate future weapons.
"The Virginia payload tubes' large diameter and modular nature allows it to be adapted to larger diameter missiles in the future, breaking the previous . . . diameter restrictions of the Tomahawk cruise missile," Rogoway wrote.
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