by Thomas Holian
V O I C E S f r o m V i rg i n i a
E A R LY I M P R E S S I O N S F R O M A F I R S T- I N - C L A S S Much has been written about USS Virginia (SSN-774) and the current and future ships of the class. It has been well established that the Virginia-class submarine was the first submarine, and the first warship, designed by the U.S. Navy specifically to face post-Cold War threats. These threats dictate that Virginia, while retaining blue water supremacy, must also be able to conduct a wide range of littoral missions that emphasize an entirely new set of capabilities. Although the first crews of Virginia sailed aboard her confident in the integrity of her design and eager to test her advertised capabilities, they were pleasantly surprised to discover that, with a little ingenuity and a willingness to experiment, they were able to coax a few surprises out of Virginia. 16
W I N T E R 2 0 0 7 U N D E R S E A WA R F A R E
