Construction on the US Navy’s new nuclear-powered Virginia Class submarine (SSN 787) has begun at Newport News Shipbuilding and Electric Boat in Groton, US.

The yet to be named fourth vessel of a third block of the submarines built by Huntington Ingalls and General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) is part of navy’s two-submarine-a-year basis plan.

The Virginia Class submarines are designed to conduct anti-submarine, anti-surface, strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare missions.

The US Navy has commissioned seven vessels to date and plans to acquire a total of 30 submarines.