A solution to the sub shortage mentioned above?
Popular MechanicsQuote:
The Navy Is Preparing to Counter a Submarine Shortage
The service plans to buy more submarines, extend the service lives of older subs.
By Kyle Mizokami
Nov 28, 2018
The U.S. Navy is planning to grow its fleet of warships and it’s not leaving submarines behind. The service plans to accelerate the number of submarines it buys per year while refurbishing older boats to keep them in service longer. The service believes it needs to increase the size of the fleet to meet current mission requirements, including a growing Chinese Navy.
The U.S. Navy maintained scores of attack submarines during the Cold War to deter the Soviet Navy. In 1987, at the height of the Reagan defense buildup, the service had a powerful fleet of 102 highly capable nuclear-powered attack submarines. By 1999, eight years after the fall of the USSR, that number that had dipped to a historical low of just 57 attack submarines, the smallest number since 1939. As of September 2018, the U.S. Navy had 50 attack submarines, plus another four guided missile submarines capable of launching large numbers of Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.
As part of the U.S. Navy’s buildup from 287 to 355 ships, the Navy also plans to grow its submarine fleet. According to Military.com, the Navy is preparing to grow the submarine force in line with the rest of the Navy by 2034. The service plans to grow the fleet to 66 attack submarines, a total that includes 18 Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines currently in service, several Virginias currently under construction, and finally another 30 new Virginias by 2034. That amounts to approximately two new submarines brought into service a year. It also plans to refurbish another seven older Los Angeles-class attack submarines to push their effective service lives out to 40+ years.
Starting in 2034, the Navy plans to begin purchasing a next generation attack submarine known as SSN(X). The Navy is also looking to purchase five new guided missile submarines to replace the converted Ohio-class submarines. Four Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines were converted in the 2000s to carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles each. The converted Ohio ships are so useful the Navy is adding more missile silos to existing Virginia submarines to fill the gap as the Ohios are retired in the 2020s, then build five more ships to replace them outright.(...SNIPPED)