Navy’s Submarine Crisis: Delays Until 2040s

American flag and submarine at sea under a cloudy sky.

U.S. Navy’s next-generation SSN(X) submarine program, vital for countering China’s naval expansion, now faces catastrophic delays until the 2040s, leaving America vulnerable undersea just as President Trump’s defense reforms take hold.

Story Snapshot

SSN(X) delivery slips from 2030s to 2042 due to shipyard backlogs and design flaws, risking a critical capability gap.
China rapidly builds its submarine fleet while U.S. Los Angeles-class boats retire without replacements.
FY2026 budget allocates $222.8M-$622.8M in R&D, but procurement deferred to FY2040 amid $8 billion per unit costs.
Overambitious “Swiss Army Knife” design mirrors F-35 failures, threatening naval superiority conservatives demand.
President Trump’s SecDef Pete Hegseth pushes acquisition reforms to fix DoD’s wasteful bureaucracy.

Program Delays Jeopardize Undersea Dominance

U.S. Navy shipyards grapple with backlogs from completing Virginia-class submarines, dry dock shortages, and workforce gaps. These issues push SSN(X) first delivery to 2042, far beyond original 2030s targets. Los Angeles-class submarines phase out due to age, creating immediate force gaps. China exploits this by expanding its fleet rapidly. President Trump’s administration inherits a brittle industrial base that undermines national security priorities like maritime strength.

Flawed Design Echoes Past DoD Disasters

SSN(X) seeks Seawolf-class speed, Virginia-class stealth, vertical launch missiles, acoustic superiority, and UUV integration for full-spectrum warfare. Analyst Brandon J. Weichert criticizes this multi-role “Swiss Army Knife” approach as doomed, comparing it to F-35, Zumwalt, and LCS overruns. Congress and CBO question $8 billion unit costs and LEU reactor feasibility versus traditional HEU. Such complexity erodes efficiency, a common sense conservative critique of government overreach in procurement.

Stakeholders Clash Over Costs and Timelines

U.S. Navy leads requirements to counter near-peer threats, but faces Congressional oversight on budgets and capabilities. Shipyards like General Dynamics and HII struggle with Virginia-class demands, bottlenecking SSN(X). SecDef Pete Hegseth advocates streamlining DoD processes to end delays. FY2026 budget requests $222.8 million or $622.8 million in R&D, with procurement slipping from FY2035 to FY2040. These tensions highlight need for fiscal discipline Trump supporters champion.

Early development persists without finalized design, as Analysis of Alternatives targeted FY2024 completion. March 2025 CBO report stresses higher availability and off-hull coordination needs.

Strategic Risks Demand Urgent Reform

Short-term, Virginia backlogs worsen; long-term, 14-year delays risk undersea superiority loss to China by 2040s. AUKUS allies depend on U.S. SSN rotations starting 2026-2027. Economic strains from high costs divert funds from priorities, fueling acquisition debates. Shipyard jobs offer potential growth, offset by delays. Broader naval fragility warns against multi-role pitfalls, aligning with conservative calls for focused, accountable defense spending under Trump.