The Navy’s so-called “next-generation” attack submarine, the SSN(X), is now officially delayed to 2040—leaving a gaping hole in America’s undersea arsenal just as our adversaries ramp up theirs and our own shipyards struggle to keep the lights on.
At a Glance
- The Navy’s SSN(X) attack submarine program is delayed yet again, with first procurement now pushed to 2040
- Budget shortfalls and a shaky industrial base are to blame, threatening U.S. undersea dominance
- Shipyard workers and suppliers face job uncertainties as production gaps widen
- Experts warn the delay could embolden adversaries like China and Russia while weakening U.S. seapower
Shipbuilding Delays: Another “Strategic Pause” for American Strength
The latest Congressional Research Service report lays it out in black and white: the Navy’s crown-jewel submarine program, SSN(X), is delayed until at least 2040. Not 2031, not even 2035—2040. This is not just a minor hiccup in the Pentagon’s schedule. This is a glaring sign of the kind of bureaucratic inertia and budgetary nonsense that’s become all too familiar in Washington. Meanwhile, the Chinese and Russian navies aren’t pausing to hold committee meetings or wring their hands about “industrial base health”—they’re building, deploying, and laughing all the way to the South China Sea.
The Navy's next-generation attack submarine won't be hitting the water for at least another decade, possibly creating issues for U.S. undersea dominance in the coming decade. https://t.co/8nq8jUSDQj
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 11, 2025
Instead of a seamless transition from the Columbia-class submarines, our shipyards will be facing a yawning gap—one that threatens not only jobs but the hard-earned expertise of American workers. This is what happens when defense priorities get tangled up in endless budget debates and the steady drip of “cost overruns” that seem to plague every major military program these days. The Pentagon may have asked for $623 million in the 2026 budget for research and development, but the timeline remains as stagnant as ever.
US Navy Next-Gen Attack Submarine is a Nightmare for China
Industrial Base at Risk: When the Assembly Line Goes Dark, So Does Readiness
Shipbuilders like General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries aren’t just cogs in the machine—they’re the backbone of American naval power. With the SSN(X) delay, these companies face the very real possibility of layoffs, shuttered production lines, and a loss of priceless skilled labor. If you think it’s easy to restart a submarine production line after five or ten years of downtime, think again. History shows that every time America pauses shipbuilding, we pay the price in lost expertise, skyrocketing costs, and a diminished ability to deter our enemies.
According to the CRS report, this isn’t just a problem for the shipbuilders; it’s a problem for every American who believes in a strong national defense. As older submarines age out and new ones are nowhere in sight, the Navy’s ability to maintain undersea superiority—already stretched thin—will be even more precarious. And let’s be honest: the last thing we need is to give China or Russia an opening just because we couldn’t get our act together at home.
