US Navy to build one-off Block V Virginia in seabed warfare/espionage configuration

The US Navy confirmed a second Block V Virginia-class submarine will be built without the Virginia Payload Module and instead configured as a unique Subsea and Seabed Warfare (SSW) platform for seafloor espionage missions, akin to USS Jimmy Carter. This indicates a specialized hull/sensor/payload reconfiguration (repurposing VPM volume) to interact with and operate on the seabed, expanding undersea infrastructure exploitation and covert seabed operations capability.