
The U.S. Navy, which is in the early stages of exploring a potential successor to the Virginia-class attack submarine, expects that unmanned underwater vessels (UUVs) will be an integral part of the future submarine’s design.“We have for years used any available interface on the [Virginia] submarine to get a UUV off the ship, whether it’s torpedo tubes, three-inch launchers or trash disposal units,” said Rear Adm. Michael Jabaley, the Navy’s program executive officer for submarines. “We have to get beyond…