US builds submarines for over 5 billion USD to counter Russia and China

The US Navy is designing a new class of SSN(X) attack submarines that will be larger, quieter, deeper diving and more capable than the current Virginia-class submarines. Each SSN(X) submarine is worth about $5.5 billion.

The reason why the US decided to spend billions of dollars on the new SSN(X) class of attack submarines is said to be the recent rise of the Chinese and Russian navies, according toPopular Mechanics.

Russia on October 13 sent the Yasen M-class submarine Kazan on its first sea trial. The Yasen M-class submarines are potentially formidable opponents for the US Navy, according to Rear Admiral Dave Johnson, a former officer at the US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

The Russian Navy continues to develop the Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) capable of diving to a depth of 953 m. Poseidon carries a nuclear warhead with a yield of up to 100 megatons that can destroy many coastal cities and military facilities.

Traditionally, the U.S. Navy’s attack submarine fleet has been tasked with pursuing surface ships and attacking enemy submarines. This mission requires submarines to locate enemy warships, follow them, ambush them, and launch devastating strikes with missiles and torpedoes. Submarines performing this mission typically have nuclear reactors, deep-sea capabilities, powerful sonar systems, and long-range guided weapons.

The US Navy's Seawolf class submarines were created with the above criteria to deal with the Soviet naval fleet. The Seawolf-class submarines have a submerged displacement of 9,138 tons, a maximum speed of 35 knots (about 65 km/h) and can dive to a depth of 610 m. However, when the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union collapsed, the US stopped building Seawolf-class submarines and currently only three of this class are in the US Navy.

The SSN(X) is expected to be the successor to the Seawolf class. According toUSNI News, the new SSN(X) will carry more torpedoes and have more torpedo tubes than the Virginia-class submarines to attack targets above and below the sea. Virginia-class submarines usually carry fewer torpedoes to make room for Tomahawk cruise missiles to attack targets on land.

The SSN(X) could carry UUVs to lure enemy warships into traps or act as a terminal guidance system for torpedoes as the submarine maneuvers to another area. Construction of the SSN(X) would begin in the 2030s, after the completion of the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine project.