Only two shipyards in the U.S. can build nuclear-powered submarines like this USS Minnesota, a Virginia-class fast attack submarine. (Colin Murty-Pool/Getty Images)
The report urges lawmakers to consider whether the delay could threaten U.S. undersea dominance and the Navy’s ability to conduct critical missions.
At around 10,000 tons, the SSN(X) is projected to cost between $6.7 billion and $8 billion per vessel, making it significantly more expensive than the Virginia‑class subs it’s intended to replace.
Virginia‑class boats cost approximately $4 billion each and have been in service since 1998. The Navy typically procures two per year, but actual production has slowed to just 1.2–1.4 subs annually, resulting in a growing backlog of funded but unconstructed boats.
NAVY'S CARRIER FLEET FACES TEMPORARY REDUCTION THROUGH 2027 AS NEW SHIPS HIT DEVELOPMENT SNAGS
Experts have been sounding the alarm on the backlogged submarine production process. (U.S. Navy photo by Ray Narimatsu/Released)
Despite nearly doubling its shipbuilding budget over the past two decades, the Navy has consistently fallen short of its ship-count goals. The Government Accountability Office noted that Navy shipbuilding programs and yards are effectively operating in a "perpetual state of triage."
Last month, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D‑Conn., the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on his plan to expand shipbuilding capacity.
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"I want your plan. Can we get that in writing and on paper? Because we don’t have anything today – zip, nada," she said.
"We have the details," Hegseth responded, "and we will provide them."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/navys-next-generation-submarine-program-faces-alarming-delay-2040