[USA] The U.S. Navy is short on Nuclear Submarines

Australia is a nuclear submarine country

Australia announced at the AUKUS Summit that it will acquire up to 13 attack submarines at a cost of 368 billion, AU$.(March 13, 2023)
First, Australia said it would buy up to five Virginia-class attack boats from the United States by the early 2030s.

[Fig. 1] A Virginia-class attack submarine nears completion at General Dynamics Electric Boat, which has its main shipyard in Groton, Conn., and an auxiliary yard in Quonset Point, R.I. (File media photo via General Dy)

The U.S. Navy is stumped on “Getting a submarine”

However, U.S. shipbuilders currently building Virginia-class attack boats believe this is not feasible.
The U.S. Navy already has a backlog of 17 ships through 2032.

In addition, the Navy’s fiscal year 2024 budget request includes a lump sum order for six more. (These are for the Columbia class, the next generation of strategic nuclear submarines).

Then, we have to wait for the AUKUS-SSN, which is being built in Australia.

But, that submarine won’t be available until after 2042 at the earliest.

Australia does not have the infrastructure to build a nuclear submarine at all, so the Australian authorities estimate that it will take more than 20 years to build the infrastructure and design the submarine.

This makes it virtually impossible for Australia to acquire a submarine under the AUKUS summit.

Which alliance will get nuclear submarines?

The U.S. currently operates a fleet of 50 nuclear-powered submarines in three phases: 1. operational deployment, 2. repair and maintenance, and 3. training. Taking this into account, the number of submarines in full-time operational deployment can be estimated at 17.

These 17 submarines are required to monitor and track Russian nuclear submarines in the Barents, Arctic, Okhotsk, and Bering seas.

Furthermore, They are also tasked with countering Chinese submarines in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea.

Escort missions for operational carrier battle groups, including one in the Atlantic and one or two in the Pacific.

There are 28 Russian and Chinese nuclear-powered submarines that they are responsible for. This number is growing every year.

As a result, USA must allow allies like Japan and South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines. However, this is difficult for Japan because of Article 9 of the Constitution. South Korea is economically close to China. Therefore, it is difficult to allow South Korea to build nuclear submarines as well.