Reference News Network, July 14 report - According to the website of the Washington Times in the United States on July 11, the U.S. Navy's next-generation attack submarine will need at least 10 more years before it can be launched, which may pose challenges to the U.S. underwater advantage over the next decade.

According to the latest report from the Congressional Research Service, the new submarine, designated as SSN(X), is expected to be completed at least by 2040. The report was submitted to Congress on the 9th. The report states that the delay is attributed to insufficient project funding.

Notably, the U.S. Navy requested $623 million in research and development funds for the SSN(X) project in the fiscal year 2026 budget, yet still set the expected completion date at 2040. Previously, in the fiscal year 2025 budget application, the Navy had already postponed the completion date from 2035 to 2040.

The Navy stated that this delay "will create a longer gap between the 'Columbia' class submarines and the SSN(X) design project, posing significant challenges to the submarine design industrial base, and the Navy will work to address this situation."

Regarding the procurement cost of the SSN(X) submarine, different reports have varying estimates. The Congressional Research Service report states that the Navy expects the cost to be slightly over $7 billion, while the Congressional Budget Office said it would be close to $8.7 billion.

The Navy stated that the SSN(X) submarine is of great significance to the United States' underwater dominance. The report states that the SSN(X) will significantly outperform the Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines it will replace.

The Navy emphasized: "The development of the SSN(X) submarine is aimed at addressing growing underwater threats from adversaries in the context of strategic competition. The vessel will have a higher speed, larger torpedo compartment capacity, better stealth performance, flexible adaptability to future threats, and stronger readiness availability."

However, the project delay highlights the difficulties facing the U.S. domestic shipbuilding industry's innovation, which the Trump administration has identified as one of its core objectives. The report shows that currently, there are only two shipyards in the United States capable of building nuclear-powered submarines: Newport News Shipbuilding, owned by Huntington-Ingalls Industries in Virginia, and General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut.

Last month, General Dynamics Electric Boat, after weeks of threats of a strike by the United Auto Workers union, finally obtained approval of a new labor agreement through a vote by union members, avoiding a potential large-scale strike that could have paralyzed production. (Translation/ Wu Mei)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526746523708637748/

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