A Virginia-class attack submarine, one of the most valuable Navy warships in the era of “great power” competition with China and Russia, served as a platform for the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force’s change of command Thursday at Pearl Harbor.

Rear Adm. Blake Converse, who has a deep submarine background, replaced Rear Adm. Daryl Caudle, who spent about a year and a half in the position. The ceremony was held atop the USS Mississippi’s hull.

The silent service can’t disclose its classified missions, but the 377-foot Mississippi provided a visual reminder of the range of some of those capabilities.

The Virginias have modifications to improve operations in littoral, or near­s­hore, waters, including a fly-by-wire ship control system that improves handling.

Atop the sub’s hull Thursday was a dry-deck shelter and a SEAL Delivery Vehicle, a minisub used to transport commandos wearing scuba gear.

“If called to fight, we will have one chance to get it right, and the submarine force will be relied on to lead the way,” Caudle said during his remarks. “We are the seize-the-initiative force designed to tenderize the maritime battlefield and ensure a decisive victory.”

Caudle, who is heading to the Pentagon as deputy of plans for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, commanded 60 percent of the Navy’s submarine force, including 32 fast-attack submarines, eight ballistic missile submarines and two guided-missile subs.

During his tenure Caudle oversaw 19 deployments of attack and guided- missile submarines and 26 strategic nuclear deterrence patrols by ballistic missile subs, said U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. John Aquilino.

Aquilino joked that Caudle “has more bosses than you could list on the entire length of this submarine” because of the wide-ranging demand for undersea capabilities.

Former U.S. Indo-Pacific Command head Adm. Harry Harris told Congress in 2017 that “from a joint commander perspective, I need more submarines.”

His successor, Adm. Phil Davidson, said earlier this month that the United States “must maintain its advantage in undersea warfare,” a capability “our adversaries are focused on eroding.”

China now has six nuclear attack submarines, four nuclear-powered ballistic missile subs and 50 diesel attack submarines.

Two Virginia-class subs are being built a year, but the number is not enough to replace older Los Angeles-class sub retirements. Pearl Harbor has six Virginia subs and about 11 Los Angeles vessels — the most submarines in the Pacific.

“While our role against China and North Korea is perhaps more obvious, Pacific submarines are also essential against a resurgent Russia and a persistent Iranian threat in the Middle East,” Caudle said.

Caudle said he worked to improve the lethality of the sub force across the range of combat operations. The first unmanned undersea vehicle squadron was created in Bangor, Wash., and his command developed “true war- gaming” simulation capabilities in Hawaii, he said.

A lot of effort was made to improve capability on Guam and prepare the base for the arrival of Virginia subs there in the mid-2020s, Caudle said.

Aquilino said Caudle “hit it out of the park” during his command.

“Finding Daryl’s relief was not easy. If you are going to be out here and be prepared to fight the No. 1 problem set that’s listed in our national defense strategy, the right guy was needed,” Aquilino said. “I needed someone who knows the submarine business, someone who has passion, someone who’s ready to jump into the mission with both feet and not look back, and I found him.”

Converse served aboard at least four submarines. His last assignment was commander of Submarine Group 9 in Washington state, where he was in charge of 10 ballistic and guided- missile submarines.