Editing Virginia-class submarine (section)

=== Block III ===
[[File:USS North Dakota (SSN-784) at sea in August 2014.JPG|thumb|{{USS|North Dakota|SSN-784|6}}, the first of the VPT-equipped Block III ''Virginia''-class submarines.]]
Construction of Block III, {{USS|North Dakota|SSN-784|1}} through [[SSN-791]] (8 boats), began in 2009. Block III subs feature a revised bow with a Large Aperture Bow (LAB) sonar array, as well as technology from ''Ohio''-class [[SSGN]]s (2 VLS tubes each containing 6 missiles).<ref name="RevisedBow">{{cite news |date=21 December 2008 |title=Virginia Block III: The Revised Bow |work=Defense Industry Daily |url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/virginia-block-iii-the-revised-bow-04159/ |access-date=20 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621073152/http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/virginia-block-iii-the-revised-bow-04159/ |archive-date=21 June 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The horseshoe-shaped LAB sonar array replaces the spherical main sonar array which has been used on all U.S. Navy SSNs since 1960.<ref name=Butler/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/history/subhistory3.html |title=Submarine Technology Through the Years |website=Chief of Naval Operations, Submarine Warfare Division, Submarine History |publisher=US Navy |date=19 July 1997 |access-date=23 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212063112/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/history/subhistory3.html |archive-date=12 February 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Paul |last=Lambert |url=http://www.usstullibee.com/tullibeehistory.html |title=Official USS Tullibee (SSN 597) Web Site - USS Tullibee History |access-date=23 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121715/http://www.usstullibee.com/tullibeehistory.html |archive-date=17 May 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The LAB sonar array is water-backed—as opposed to earlier sonar arrays which were air-backed—and consists of a passive array and a medium-frequency active array.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08784.htm |title=North Dakota (SSN-784) |website=NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive |access-date=22 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517122541/http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08784.htm |archive-date=17 May 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> Compared to earlier ''Virginia''-class submarines about 40% of the bow has been redesigned.{{clarify|date=January 2015}}<ref>{{cite news |last=LaGrone |first=Sam |url=http://news.usni.org/2014/04/17/navy-delays-commissioning-latest-nuclear-attack-submarine |title=Navy Delays Commissioning of Latest Nuclear Attack Submarine |work=USNI News |publisher=U.S. Naval Institute |date=17 April 2014 |access-date=22 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429121624/http://news.usni.org/2014/04/17/navy-delays-commissioning-latest-nuclear-attack-submarine |archive-date=29 April 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''South Dakota'' (SSN-790) will be equipped with a new propulsor,<ref name="seapowermagazine.org">{{cite web
|url=http://seapowermagazine.org/stories/20160812-sdak.html 
|title=Posted:New Acoustic Quieting to be Tested on Submarine South Dakota
|publisher=seapowermagazine.org
|date=12 August 2016
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022223715/http://seapowermagazine.org/stories/20160812-sdak.html
|archive-date=22 October 2016
|access-date=27 April 2022}}</ref> possibly the Hybrid Multi-Material Rotor (HMMR),<ref name="darpa.mil">{{cite web
|url=http://www.darpa.mil/attachments/TTOProposersDay2016PresentationFINAL.PDF |title=Welcome to Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Tactical Technology Office (TTO) Proposers Day 
|publisher=darpa.mil
|date=21 April 2016
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023050834/http://www.darpa.mil/attachments/TTOProposersDay2016PresentationFINAL.PDF |archive-date=23 October 2016
|access-date=27 April 2022}}</ref><ref name="summit-group.com">{{cite web
|url=http://www.summit-group.com/Projects/Maritime.html
|title=SEG projects in the Maritime domain
|publisher=summit-group.com
|date=2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331235250/http://summit-group.com/Projects/Maritime.html
|archive-date=31 March 2015
|access-date=27 April 2022}}</ref> developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ([[DARPA]]).<ref name="seapowermagazine.org" /> The Hybrid Multi-Material Rotor program is an attempt to improve the design and manufacturing process of submarine propellers with an aim of reducing the cost and weight of the propeller/rotor as well as improving overall acoustic performance.<ref name="seapowermagazine.org" /><ref name="darpa.mil"/><ref name="summit-group.com" />
{{clear}}