The first reason the US Navy needs many more Virginia-class submarines

What you need to know: The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines are among the most advanced, but their numbers are insufficient to meet current and future needs, especially in potential conflicts with near-peer adversaries such as China.

– US naval shipyards are overwhelmed, unable to meet production demands and facing significant delays. Meanwhile, China is rapidly expanding and modernizing its submarine fleet, potentially outpacing the United States in both numbers and technological advancement.

– The AUKUS agreement, aimed at strengthening the capabilities of allied submarines, has not yet addressed these problems due to similar problems with shipyards in the UK and Australia. Without significant improvements, the United States risks finding itself at a strategic disadvantage in submarine warfare.

America’s Submarine Shortage: Why the US Navy Needs More Virginia-Class Submarines

Virginia-class submarines are one of the most advanced US Navy submarines in history. They have a number of capabilities that make them a real threat to American rivals around the world. It’s a shame that there are few of them. Moreover, it is unlikely that there will ever be enough of them.

Crisis in American shipyards

It’s because American naval shipyards are a disaster.

They cannot keep up with the current peacetime demands placed on them. And God help us if war with an almost equal competitor such as China ever breaking out, then US military industrial complex the base as a whole, especially the shipyards, would not be able to meet the increased demand resulting from wartime operations.

In other words, the Navy’s current array of submarines and warships will likely continue to be the only force available, even though these platforms will likely be lost in intense near-peer combat.

Taiwan Crisis Will Break Current US Submarine Force

Given the potential for conflict with China over, say, control of Taiwan, the U.S. Navy’s current submarine force is insufficient to stop the threat posed by our friends in the region. We are told that the US submarine force is the most advanced in the world. Perhaps this is true for now.

But like Mao Zedong according to rumors once said: “Quantity has its own quality.”

China can mass produce its submarine fleet at a significantly higher rate than US shipyards. They are now combining mass production capabilities with increasingly sophisticated subsea platforms. Today Chinese scientists experimenting with different propulsion systems for their next generation submarines that allow their submarines to move significantly faster than US submarines.

Indeed, China has invested heavily in tracking and detection capabilities identify and destroy a limited number of US submarines before they become a true threat to Chinese strategic assets.

Thus, in any conflict between a near-peer rival such as China, the US will have trouble maintaining its endurance in the conflict. The Chinese will be able replace their systems are being lost in combat probably faster than the Americans, meaning that US forces will be worn out over time.

AUKUS doesn’t help (yet)

America entered Australia-UK-USA. (AUCUS) agreement largely to expand its regional capabilities by helping the British supply the Royal Australian Navy with nuclear submarines that would increase the number of friendly submarines in the region. Despite some progress in the development of AUKUS, both the UK and Australia struggle with similar problems of stifling bureaucracy and inefficient shipyards.

Thus, if conflict were to break out in the Indo-Pacific region in the near future, Americans would be at a numerical disadvantage in the critical area of ​​undersea warfare. In addition, US submarine forces are dispersed throughout the world, while China’s are concentrated in the conflict zone. To move the bulk of American submarines to the region if war breaks out, the Americans will have to use increasingly contested waterways that could be sabotaged by Chinese agents.

Other Strategic Considerations

Even the Panama Canal is not immune to problems that arise at convenient times. The canal zone is managed not only by a Chinese state-owned enterprise, but also by Chinese allies such as Venezuela or Iran. increasingly moving assets into a region that could damage the channel. In addition, there are currently water level problems in the canal area that could interfere with the movement of US submarines from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

All of these are deterrents to US submarines.

The Virginia-class submarines were intended to be a more affordable alternative to the Navy’s sophisticated Seawolf-class submarines. According to To Military.com, Currently, only ten submarines serve in this class. Six of these submarines are assigned to the US East Coast, meaning they are primarily stationed in the Atlantic. A minor four of these are in the Indo-Pacific region along the US West Coast and Hawaii.

Meanwhile, seven additional power units are under construction, some as early as 2009, and two more are under contract. The Pentagon was informed These sclerotic US Navy shipyards suggest there will be major delays in the production of submarines still under construction.

Here are a few more limiting factors for this important component of the U.S. submarine fleet. Especially considering that the legendary, albeit outdated, Los Angeles-class attack submarines retired much faster than they can be replaced.

More problems again.

A little warning

If the Chinese strike Taiwan, there will be no warning. In all likelihood, the Chinese will strive initially blockade and then spend weeks, months or possibly years, depending on the slowness of the US response, before attempting a ground invasion. Americans must do everything in their power to clean up their shipyards, increase productivity, and produce many more submarines to have the strategic staying power they will need to combat China’s growing navy.

Virginia-class submarines, with their arsenal of torpedoes, missiles and maneuverability, are a key component of America’s submarine force.

We miss them. China knows this.

Thus, China can defeat the US Navy in the long term in a direct regional war.

About the author

Brandon J. Weichertnational interest, national security analystformer congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who has written for The Washington Times, Asia Times and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Conquering Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacking: China’s Race to Control Life, and Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Catastrophe of Our Own Creation: How the West Lost Ukraine, will be published October 22 by Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed on Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

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