The U.S. is allowing its submarine fleet to languish while China and Russia are bolstering their own, according to a key lawmaker.
“While our adversaries are investing in a next-generation submarine force, we are letting ours wither,” Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Ohio, wrote in an April 17 op-ed piece written for Politico.com. Wittman chairs the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee.
Wittman noted that the Navy has 52 attack submarines currently – well short of the 66 the service believes it needs in order to fulfill mission requirements. In contrast, Russia is modernizing its fleet. China, meanwhile, is on an aggressive program that would allow the country to surpass Russia as the world’s second-largest navy by 2020, he wrote.
“In order to maintain naval superiority, the U.S. must match or preferably surpass these adversaries,” Wittman wrote.
He urged his colleagues in Congress to approve the Navy’s recommendations for rectifying the problem, which include acceleration of the shipbuilding process and life-extending upgrades for Los Angeles-class submarines. He also called for funding of future Virginia-class submarines.
