USS John H. Dalton explained

USS John H. Dalton (SSN-808) will be a nuclear-powered for the United States Navy, the seventh of the Block V attack submarines and 35th overall of the class. She will be the first U.S. Naval vessel named for John Howard Dalton, the 70th Secretary of the Navy and a former submariner who, after graduating with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1964, served aboard the attack submarine and the ballistic missile submarine .^[1]

The submarine's name was announced on 28 February 2023 by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.^[2]

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.^[3]

Notes and References

1. News: Potter. William Taylor. U.S. Navy naming new nuclear submarine after Louisiana native. The Daily Advertiser. 6 March 2023. 10 March 2023.
2. SECNAV Names Future Virginia-class Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine after 70th Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton. United States Navy. 28 February 2023. 1 March 2023.
3. Web site: Attack Submarines - SSN . 2024-05-09 . United States Navy . en-US.