Rob Wittman statement on status of Block V submarine contract

Congressman Rob Wittman released the following statement on the status of the Block V multiyear contract for the Virginia Class submarine program.

“Our combatant commanders have been consistent that the most critical asset they need are attack submarines, and this is before we realize a 20% reduction over the next 10 years. Industry is prepared to execute and the Navy needs to deliver – Congress is clearly behind them. While the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has certified a nine-ship multiyear, a ten-ship multiyear would provide additional cost savings. Therefore, not only is a ten-ship multiyear more cost effective, it is a strategic imperative – we need to reverse the continued loss of submarines before it is too late.”

The Navy’s most recent Force Structure Assessment reported that the U.S. needs 66 attack submarines to meet Navy operational plans – however, under our current schedule, the attack submarine inventory would fall from 52 boats in fiscal year 2019 to 42 boats in fiscal year 2028; it wouldn’t reach 66 attack submarines until 2048.