CRS Report for Congress: Navy Attack Submarine Force-Level Goal and Procurement Rate: Background and Issues for Congress: January 18, 2006 - RL32418

The Navy is currently procuring one Virginia (SSN-774) class attack nuclearpowered submarine (SSN) per year. Each submarine currently costs about $2.4 billion. The FY2007-FY2011 Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP) to be submitted in February 2006 reportedly will propose maintaining the one-per-year procurement rate through FY2011, and then increasing the rate to two per year in FY2012. As of the end of FY2005, the Navy totaled 282 ships, including 54 SSNs. In December 2005, it was reported that the Navy is planning to maintain future fleet of 313 ships, including 48 SSNs. Submarine supporters are concerned that the Navy and DOD are not placing adequate emphasis on attack submarines in Navy forcestructure planning and ship-procurement plans. Issues for Congress include the following: What should the attack submarine force-level goal be? At what rate should Virginia-class submarines be procured in coming years? Congress's decisions on these issues could significantly affect future Navy capabilities, Navy funding requirements, and the submarine industrial base. In considering what the attack submarine force-level goal should be, key factors to consider include day-to-day demands for attack submarines, potential wartime demands for attack submarines, submarine-launched unmanned vehicles (UVs), attack submarine homeporting and crewing arrangements, the Trident cruise missile submarine ...