How good are the Virginia Class in the real world?
 

I’m a newbie to the forum, I’ve followed the advancement of the sub world for the last dozen years or so. How good are the new Virginia class compared to the quiet new subs around the globe.... maybe the 214 from Germany or the astute? Class from the UK. The latest from Russia? I know that in the deep, the US nukes are great but how about in the shallow waters or the littoral environment. How do the various torpedoes that the various counties effect the combat, I read recently about the new German torpedo, I don’t understand how an opponent sub can survive if you read the promo literature posted on the Ares website.

Can the new vlf sonar that we the US want to use offset the hole in the water aspect of the new diesels? Is that an active system?. If so, doesn’t if chance a snapshot from the bad guy and it doesn’t really matter if you’ve killed your opponent if your dead soon after.

Training/tactics affect the outcome of a battle but it seems that it’s harder and harder to stay undetected while still attacking your opponent.

Are the new rpv technologies going to make the big nuke a thing of the past?

Should the US start thinking about a new cheaper class of conventional sub?
Are they that much cheaper to build and operate?

Do we still have a torpedo that operates like the cancelled sea-lance system?
Swim out, launch above water, and drop in on the bad guy?

Is the mark48 or 54 still one of the best in the world?

I know it a lot of questions for the 1st time out but I never seem to see people talking about comparative capabilities of the many sub using counties of the world.
It seems as if everybody’s buy\ordering new AIP Diesel subs for the near and far future. Can we the US stay on\near the top?.

I Look forward to any non classified discussion that you folk can come up with.

Thanks Again

Spence