Adding second Virginia-class sub would come at expense of Navy’s next-gen fighter, Austin warns
"Adding a second submarine would require the Department to reduce the Next Generation Fighter program by $400 million, making the fighter program unexecutable and degrading the Navy's ability to field next generation aircraft capabilities required in the 2033 to 2037 timeframe,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
By Valerie Insinna
on October 02, 2024 at 5:43 PM
The Virginia-class attack submarine Minnesota (SSN 783) is under construction at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Newport News Shipbuilding/Released)
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers hoping to authorize a second Virginia-class submarine in fiscal 2025 could throw a wrench into the development of the Navy’s sixth-generation fighter, potentially delaying the fielding of the new aircraft, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a Sept. 26 letter to lawmakers.
The letter, addressed to the leaders of the armed services committees, lays out a laundry list of provisions contained in the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act that the Pentagon opposes, including the addition of funding for construction of a second Virginia-class attack submarine.
“Adding a second submarine would require the Department to reduce the Next Generation Fighter program by $400 million, making the fighter program unexecutable and degrading the Navy’s ability to field next generation aircraft capabilities required in the 2033 to 2037 timeframe,” Austin said in the letter.
https://breakingdefense.com/2024/10/adding-second-virginia-class-sub-would-come-at-expense-of-navys-next-gen-fighter-austin-warns/
