Of Subs and Ships

The huge cost of new SSBN(X) nuclear ballistic submarines cannot be borne by the Navy's shipbuilding account alone, acting Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall told the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning at his confirmation hearing. Officials will have to find "some other way" besides the shipbuilding account to pay that bill, Kendall said.

The Navy's latest 30-year shipbuilding plan, sent to Congress Wednesday, is affordable for the next five years but thereafter "presents a resourcing challenge" largely due to the investment requirements associated with the new subs, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter informed lawmakers in a letter accompanying the plan. See here for our story.