USS Washington's covert missions earn top military honor
The American Virginia-class submarine, USS Washington, has received the highest award given to military units, the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The decoration, bestowed by President Biden, is awarded for "outstanding performance and heroism in action against enemy forces."
2:23 PM EDT, October 24, 2024
A notice about the submarine's decoration appeared on the U.S. Navy's website. Although the information was published on October 21, it pertains to earlier events that have only recently been disclosed. The award was given on July 19, 2024, for "outstanding performance in action while conducting operations within U.S. SIXTH Fleet."
Official information does not specify exactly why the U.S. president awarded the decoration. It is only known that over six months, USS Washington carried out three missions of critical importance to American national security, resulting in obtaining "sensitive and unique intelligence information."
While the Presidential Unit Citation is awarded for heroism demonstrated by a unit or ship's crew in battle, in the case of the Washington, the basis for awarding the decoration was likely intelligence activities.
It is worth noting that submarines are excellent tools for gathering, among other things, information that creates an acoustic (sonar), thermal, or radar profile of various ships. This allows the creation of a data library that defines target parameters for various kinds of missiles or torpedoes.
Virginia-class submarines
USS Washington (SSN 787) is a Virginia-class submarine. It is the 14th ship in the series and entered service in 2017. The Virginia class consists of multi-mission nuclear-powered units and is classified as the latest, fourth generation of submarines.
They were developed post-Cold War as a more affordable alternative to Seawolf-class units. Their design allows them to perform a wide range of tasks—from conventional attacks on land targets to combating enemy surface and underwater ships, intelligence operations, and support for special forces.
The Virginia class displaces nearly 8,800 tons submerged, has a hull length of 367 feet, and can dive to at least 1,970 feet. The submarines achieve speeds over 29 miles per hour, and their crew consists of 134 officers and sailors. Their armament includes four 21-inch torpedo tubes and 12 vertical launch tubes (VLS), designed—in this case—for Tomahawk BGM-109 cruise missiles.
