The U.S. Navy’s Attack Submarine ‘Nightmare’ Is Getting Serious

National Security Journal ^ | 7/7/2025 | Andrew Latham

[whyilovetexas111]

The U.S. Navy is facing a critical shortage of attack submarines, a “nightmare” scenario where aging Los Angeles-class boats are being retired faster than new Virginia-class submarines can be built. This impending capability gap is a symptom of a much deeper crisis within the American naval shipbuilding industry, which is plagued by inefficiencies, delays, and an inability to keep pace with the rapid expansion of China’s Navy.

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TOPICS: Government; History; Military/Veterans; Politics
KEYWORDS: costlywunderwaffen; military; navy; submarines; usnavy

[whyilovetexas111]

Can we even afford to build more?

[MinorityRepublican]

the American naval shipbuilding industry, which is plagued by inefficiencies, delays, and an inability to keep pace with the rapid expansion of China’s Navy.

We can't build anything anymore except for Elon Musk. We won't even have a space program.

[Justa]

“American naval shipbuilding industry, which is plagued by inefficiencies....”

IOW corporate DEI hiring. Targeting the old white guys to teach and support the new ‘diverse’ employees who are encouraged to hate on them.

If the corporation can’t do it with their new recruiting and management practices -FIRE THE CORPORATION

Cancel their contracts. Someone better will come along

[Resolute Conservative]

We probably don’t need that many. There are not many real blue water navies anymore.

[Orosius]

I hear the Germans make pretty good submarines, maybe they could sell us a couple.

[NorthMountain]

IOW corporate DEI hiring.

Corporate DEI hiring is a direct result of Government DEI requiring.

And the lack of shipbuilding, aircraft building, arms building in general capability can be directly laid at the feet of George H W Bush and William Jefferson Clinton. We had a "peace dividend", you see. Russia was all nice and friendly, you see. China was suddenly a Most Favored Nation, you see. We ain't gonna study war no more, you see ... so we can gut the dreaded, never-to-be-sufficiently-damned "military industrial complex", you see.

And then it turns out they were wrong. Predictably wrong. As some of us predicted.

And it's a lot easier to dismantle than to build.

[pierrem15]

Decades of zero accountability in the Navy's shipbuilding program: horrendous cost overruns, tech that doesn't work or too expensive to deploy, failure to maintain the industrial base. Firings? Lawsuits? Court martials? Surely you jest.

All the chickens are coming home to roost.

[odawg]

“All the chickens are coming home to roost.”

You are so far behind. Don’t you know that we will be shielded by proper use of personal pronouns?

[faithhopecharity]

ironically, we could order nuclear submarines from Germany

[Leaning Right]

> aging Los Angeles-class boats are being retired faster than new Virginia-class submarines can be built <

I don’t know much about submarines. So I’ve got to ask. We can keep B-52s in service for many, many decades. Why can’t the same be done with submarines? Does it have something to do with the sub’s nuclear fuel?

Last B-52 was built in 1962.
Last Los Angeles-class submarine was built in 1996.

[TexasGator]

“ironically, we could order nuclear submarines from Germany”

Nope.

[MinorityRepublican]

We probably don’t need that many. There are not many real blue water navies anymore.

Russia and the UK used to have large navies.

Now it's probably just China.

[Vermont Lt]

Our submarine fleet is just fine.

Our competition is generations behind our fleet. We might not be replacing them one-for-one, but the new ones are force multipliers vs the existing threat.

This is more crap from the “America sucks” crowd.

[Vermont Lt]

It has more to do with the immense pressure they are under. Even the smallest crack it lethal.

Also, with each generation the “silent” aspect of the subs get more critical.

I would imagine a sub built in the 70’s would sound like a Sherman tank to the enemy’s sonar.

Airframes are not under the same types of constraints.

[TexasGator]

“I hear the Germans make pretty good submarines, maybe they could sell us a couple.”

They have six in their fleet. In 2018 all were out of service.

None have the capabilities of even or obsolete attack subs.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Lease out some of our Ohio and LA Class subs to Taiwan. Give each Ohio class 4 launchers with nukes and the rest with Tomahawks. Park them off the Philippines. Should change Chinas attitude.

[Vermont Lt]

China’s Navy is a China Sea Navy. They are growing and worthy of attention. But they cannot project strength in the same way as a carrier fleet.

[rottndog]

Submarine hulls are only certified for a limited number of dive cycles. They deal with much greater pressures than airframes.

[faithhopecharity]

its just frustrating hearing how USA can’t build so many things anymore like we used to

(and especially for national defense applications, for sure)

our workforce has gone woke and wimp? let’s stop subsidizing absolutely worthless college programs.... and stop paying out public funds to lazy able-bodied bums who could work but are happier playing computer games in their mama’s basements instead. For starters. Every employer we know says the same thing, they can’t find people willing to work (some of the jobs are quite decent, too). And when they hire someone, often they don’t show up or they show up two hours late or they just shuffle around unproductively instead of trying, at least, to do a good job. There’s definitely something wrong with a lot of people nowadays, as some “starter jobs” with a whole lot of very useful otj training included... go begging. jobs that a more “normal” motivated person could use as tremendous stepping-stones ——
maybe (not that I am recommending this) maybe we need to ban computer games? just keep the kute kitty kat videos!!!! smiles smiles

[Mariner]

You can’t fire General Dynamics.