Navy Attack Submarine Force-Level Goal and Procurement Rate: Background and Issues for Congress
2006
O'Rourke, Ronald
Updated July 26, 2006. For earlier version see ADA454589, dated 18 Jan 2006, by same author.
Show more [+] Less [-]Of the 282 ships in the Navy at the end of FY2005, 54 were nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). The Navy is planning to maintain in coming years a fleet of 313 ships, including 48 SSNs. The Navy is currently procuring one Virginia (SSN-774) class SSN per year. The Navy's 30-year SSN procurement plan, if implemented, would not be sufficient to maintain a force of 48 SSNs consistently over the long run. In addition, for the first time in about 50 years, there is currently no new submarine being designed, which has led to a decline in work for submarine designers and engineers. Issues for Congress include the following: Is 48 the correct number of SSNs to meet future needs? Should the start of two-per-year Virginia-class procurement be accelerated from FY2012 to an earlier year, such as FY2009, so as to come closer to maintaining a force of 48 SSNs in the 2020s-2030s? How should the submarine design and engineering base be maintained in coming years? This report will be updated as events warrant.
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