A bipartisan group of 120 House members is urging defense appropriators to compel the Navy to procure two Virginia-class attack submarines in fiscal year 2025, exceeding the White House's budget request for one.
This push comes amid concerns that the Navy's plan to reduce its fleet size, including retiring 19 ships and slowing submarine production, could weaken U.S. sea power, particularly in light of increased competition from China and Russia. Lawmakers are also worried about the impact on the submarine industrial base, which is already facing workforce shortages.
While Pentagon officials suggest a slowdown would allow for industry improvements, lawmakers cite testimony from combatant commanders highlighting a current deficit in attack submarines. The Navy's attack submarine fleet is projected to fall significantly below requirements in the coming years.
Additionally, lawmakers are scrutinizing the Navy's proposal to retire 10 ships prematurely, which would further reduce the fleet size below the Navy's own shipbuilding plan and China's projected fleet size.
Data sourced from public RSS feeds and News APIs.
