Sustaining the Submarine Force’s Competitive Edge
At a time when the U.S. Navy faces intense competition from peer and near-peer adversaries, the submarine force still provides a significant advantage—one we do not take for granted.
By Vice Admiral Daryl Caudle, U.S. Navy
October 2020
The submarine force is one of the most significant advantages the U.S. Navy enjoys over its competitors. This is not by accident. It comes from unique factors that set our force apart, that make it lethal and fearsome, and that we must work diligently to preserve: self-sufficiency, a culture of self-assessment and problem resolution, a warrior ethos, and outstanding people.
Self-Sufficiency
Empowered with a skillfully designed nuclear power plant and an unmatched mission command structure, submarines can get to the fight quickly and deliver devastating impact to an enemy. The reactor underpins our submarines’ self-sufficiency—allowing them to deploy quickly across the globe and remain on station almost indefinitely with minimal support. Nuclear power means our primary limiting factor is not fuel, but rather “beans and bulletsâ€â€”inventories we are improving. In the “beans†category, we deploy submarines with larger stores loadouts, freeze-dried foods, and innovative menus. As far as “bullets†go, we are improving our weapons inventory with new designs, including the Virginia Payload Module, able to carry an additional 28 missiles.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/october/sustaining-submarine-forces-competitive-edge
