Navy Seeks to Rev Up to Building 3 Attack Submarines Per Year

By Kris Osborn – Managing Editor – Warrior Maven

The Navy hopes to increase its current submarine construction op-tempo and build as many as three Virginia-class submarines per year to more rapidly address the services’ attack submarine deficit.

The previous status quo had been for the Navy to drop from building two Virginia-Class boats per year to one in the early 2020s when construction of the new Columbia-Class nuclear armed submarines begins. The service then moved to a plan to build two Virginia-class submarines and one Columbia-class submarine concurrently, according to findings from a Navy assessment.

The proposed idea now, currently being explored by the Navy, is to jump up to three Virginia-class per year when Columbia-class production hits a lull in “off years.”

“I do believe there is a capacity to get to three a year in the off years for Columbia construction. We have gotten up to two per year and that is sustainable. There is capacity in the yard and as we negotiate this upcoming multI-year, we will look at pulling options in to add more submarines,” James Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition, told lawmakers at a Congressional House Armed Services Committee Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.

Navy leaders have consistently talked about an expected submarine shortfall in the mid 2020s and that more attack submarines were needed to strengthen the fleet and keep stay in front of near-peer rivals such as Russia and China.

This assessment reinforces findings from a completed comprehensive Navy analysis last year, which found that producing more Virginia-Class attack submarines on a much faster timetable is “achievable” and necessary.

The Navy report, titled The Submarine Industrial Base and the Viability of Producing Additional Attack Submarines Beyond the Fiscal Year 2017 Shipbuilding Plan in the 2017–2030 Timeframe, was delivered to Congress last year, Navy officials said.