SU-30SM, SU-35S, and SU-34 flying in formation - Sputnik International, 1920
Military
Get the latest defense news from around the world: breaking stories, photos, videos, in-depth analysis and much more...

‘Problematic Reality’: WH Seeks $5.7 billion in Emergency Funding for Virginia-Class Submarines

© AP Photo / JACK SAUERIn this July 30, 2004 file photo, the USS Virginia, then one of the Navy's newest submarines, returns to the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton Conn., after its first sea trials.
In this July 30, 2004 file photo, the USS Virginia, then one of the Navy's newest submarines, returns to the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton Conn., after its first sea trials. - Sputnik International, 1920, 26.11.2024
Subscribe
US Vice Admiral Rob Gaucher earlier insisted that crewing and maintenance will dog the Navy’s submarine fleet in the coming years.
The US president’s Office of Management and Budget has issued a request to Congress for about $5.7 billion in emergency funding to tackle extra costs regarding the Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines, American media cited a senior navy official as saying.
Approximately $3.5 would go towards addressing the cost overruns, while the remainder will be split between submarine prime contractors General Dynamics Corp. and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. for increased wages and "other productivity enhancements," the official said.
Artist rendering of Lockheed Martin's Hellenic Future Frigate (HF2). The US-based contractor declares HF2 could be produced in Greece, which would build Greece’s shipbuilding capabilities and bring hundreds of high-quality jobs to the country for decades. - Sputnik International, 1920, 30.05.2024
Military
US Navy Years Behind, Already Over Budget in Designing New Class of Frigates - Report
The official made it clear that the navy also projects delivery delays of 24 to 36 months for the aforementioned vessels.
"Our Virginia-class fast attack submarine program is not where it needs to be right now. The program and the shipyards are not producing submarines at the rate that our national security strategy and the national defense strategy require," the source stressed.
This comes after House Defense Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert said that a shortfall in funding for Virginia-class attack submarines is projected to grow to $17 billion over the next six years, adding that the US Navy suffered from persistent delays and cost overruns in the service's shipbuilding program.

The Defense News earlier reported that the situation with the Virginia-class submarines remains "a problematic reality" for the navy, which currently has 49 such vessels, despite a formal requirement for 66.

The National Interest magazine, for its part, noted that the navy’s submarine fleet is "under congressional scrutiny for repeated delays and rising costs"– problems that "won't be easy to fix."
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала