![]() The Navy expects its SSBNs to be operational about 70 percent of the time. Having a fleet of 12 Columbia-class submarines is central to the platform’s effectiveness as a nuclear deterrent, Clark said. In September, speaking the Defense News Conference, Smith suggested the reducing spending on the nation’s nuclear arsenal could free up funding for other programs. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) has in the past questioned the need to devote large sums of money to the nuclear deterrent. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. “You see a lot of discussion on the Hill with the new Democratic majority that they want to look at nuclear modernization as an area to try to achieve savings that could be applied to other areas of the military or other uses,” Clark said. The entire program is expected to cost about $102 billion, according to an October 2018 Congressional Research Service report. There’s a lot of pressure to try to reduce those costs. The Columbia-class submarines are relatively expensive, costing about $6 billion each, Clark said. “That makes it very important that we have not just one submarine out there being our sea-based deterrent but a number of submarines.”Ī more immediate threat facing the Columbia-class submarines is the program’s ability to survive the congressional appropriations process. “You have a bunch of eggs in a basket if you take out that submarine, you’ve eliminated all of those weapons all at once,” Clark said. However, the deterrent is brittle and Russia and China are sinking a lot of resources into improving their submarine-hunting capabilities, Clark said. John Richardson wants the Columbia class in the fleet as soon as possible, Tammen said.īy design, SSBNs are intended to move silently into position and the ballistic missiles they carry are supposed to be undetected. Building the Columbia class to replace the Ohio class is the Navy’s top priority, and the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. The current SSBNs, the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, are nearing the end of their expected lifespan. ![]() Speaking with Tammen were Bryan Clark a Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, James Acton a Senior Fellow and Co-Director for Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Thomas Callender a Senior Research Fellow for Defense Programs at The Heritage Foundation. The Navy’s best chance to secure funding from Capitol Hill hinges on bringing down the cost-per-sub while proving the platform’s utility, agreed the experts joining Tammen on the panel. ![]() ![]() John Tammen (OPNAV N97) said during a Tuesday panel discussion with experts at the Heritage Foundation. “If you look at the nuclear posture review, the number is really at least 12,” Rear Adm. The first Columbia-class SSBN submarine is not expected to join the fleet until 2027, but Navy officials and analysts are already making the case to extend the program of record beyond what is currently envisioned to be a fleet of 12 SSBNs. needs at least 12 Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, says the Navy’s director of undersea warfare. To maintain a credible nuclear threat, the U.S. An undated artist’s rendering of the planned Columbia-class submarine.
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