The U.S. Navy is navigating turbulent waters in its ambitious plans to modernize its submarine fleet with the SSN(X), a next-generation attack submarine,
which has now been postponed until the 2040s due to a combination of budgetary pressures and a strategic focus on current naval projects.
This revelation comes in the wake of the Navy’s fiscal reevaluation, putting the future of the SSN(X) in uncertain waters as it floats alongside other delayed projects such as the DDG(X) destroyer and the F/A-XX fighter.
Initial plans for the SSN(X) program charted a course to begin construction in 2031, with subsequent delays pushing the date to 2035, and now, even further into the early 2040s.
The submarine is expected to operate at the forefront of undersea technological advancement, boasting capabilities to confront the escalating maritime prowess of near-peer adversaries.
The SSN(X) design promises to deliver enhanced speed, a significant increase in payload capacity, and superior acoustic performance.
Kings Bay, Ga. (April 11, 2006) Ð The Ohio-class guided missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) makes her way through Cumberland Sound to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Florida will be officially welcomed to her new home in Kings Bay with a return to service ceremony scheduled for May 25, 2006 in Mayport, Fla. Florida is the second of four SSBN submarines to be converted to the guided missile SSGN platform. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Lynn Friant (RELEASED)
Budget allocations have proved to be a formidable opponent to the SSN(X) program’s progress, with the Navy’s fiscal 2025 budget indicating a strategy to delay several modernization programs.
Despite the delay, the vision for SSN(X) remains clear;
(Exact date unknown)
the submarine is expected to integrate the formidable attributes of the Seawolf, Virginia, and Columbia-class designs, ensuring a high-speed, heavily armed, and acoustically stealth vessel with exceptional operational availability.
The CRS SSN(X) report stated that, “The Navy is examining three broad design options for the SSN(X)—a design based on the Virginia-class SSN design, a design based on the Columbia-class SSBN design, and a brand new design.
According to the Congressional Research Service,
“Navy officials have stated that the Navy wants the SSN(X) to incorporate the speed and payload of the Navy’s fast and heavily armed Seawolf (SSN-21) class SSN design, the acoustic quietness and sensors of the Virginia-class design, and the operational availability and service life of the Columbia-class design.”
Kings Bay, Ga. (April 11, 2006) Ð The Ohio-class guided missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) makes her way through Cumberland Sound to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Florida will be officially welcomed to her new home in Kings Bay with a return to service ceremony scheduled for May 25, 2006 in Mayport, Fla. Florida is the second of four SSBN submarines to be converted to the guided missile SSGN platform. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Lynn Friant (RELEASED)
The SSN(X) program also stands to benefit from cutting-edge technologies such as conformal bow sonar, expanded weapons storage for an array of systems including unmanned underwater vessels (UUVs), increased torpedo tubes, and advanced quiet electric drive propulsion, among other innovations.
Submarine expert H I Sutton elaborates on the potential of SSN(X) to feature very large flank arrays, an X-rudder for improved maneuverability, and vertical launch systems (VLS) to house cruise missiles and future hypersonic weaponry.
While the trajectory for the SSN(X) submarine is charted toward an advanced and dominant underwater force, the program’s future hinges on the ebb and flow of political will, budgetary realities, and evolving strategic needs.
Relevant articles:
– SSN(X): The U.S. Navy’s Dream to Build a Nuclear Submarine Like No Other, The National Interest
– Generation Attack Submarine SSN(X) Program, Naval News