Delays in Navy’s next-gen submarine threaten US seapower, report says
By Zita Ballinger Fletcher
Jul 11, 2025, 11:47 AM
The Navy hopes its Next-Generation Attack Submarine, currently known as the SSN(X), will be a successful combination of stealth, operational life and autonomous technology — but that idea may not become reality anytime soon.
A Wednesday report to Congress sent by the Congressional Research Service said the submarine’s development is projected to be significantly delayed.
While the Navy requested nearly $623 million in research and development for the program in its fiscal 2026 budget proposal, the timeline for the attack submarine has not changed since the service delayed its production from the 2030s to the 2040s last year.
Critically, the Congressional Research Service report lists among its issues for Congress the possible impact this delay could have on U.S. global seapower and warfighting capabilities, specifically “on the future U.S. ability to maintain undersea superiority and fulfill U.S. Navy missions.”
https://www.militarytimes.com/naval/2025/07/11/delays-in-navys-next-gen-submarine-threaten-us-seapower-report-says/
