Chief of Naval Operations Calls for a Fleet of 66 Attack Submarines

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By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

The US Navy Combatant Commander requests for submarines have now for many years exceeded the service’s available supply, particularly in the Pacific.

Submarines

The US Navy, members of Congress and industry builders are all accelerating a revved up effort to add more attack submarines in coming years, to help offset an anticipated deficit expected to emerge as more Los Angeles-class submarines are retired from service. Previous publications of the Navy’s 30-year Shipbuilding Plan have indicated a substantial drop off in coming years as legacy submarines retire, so there has been an intense Navy and Congressional effort to “uptick” Virginia-class submarine production and strive toward building 2 or even 3 per year in many instances.

Clearly a big part of the impetus here is to close a submarine gap with China. A publication called ussjpkennedydr.org cites China’s submarine fleet at 79, compared to a US fleet of 68. Without a substantial acceleration of US attack submarines in coming years, the number of US Navy attack submarines may lower into the low 50s.

These are the likely reasons why Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday’s Navigation Plan 2022 cites an attack submarine capacity goal at 66. This many attack submarines, when supplemented by 12 Columbia-class, nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines, would bring the Navy’s entire fleet up to 78 submarines, roughly comparable to China in terms of size.

The Navy plan calls for 66 Nuclear-powered fast-attack and large payload submarines “to hold adversaries at risk in both contested seas and open oceans. We will continue to build the Virginia-class at a sustainable rate while developing the SSN(X),” Gilday’s Navigation Plan states.