U.S. nuclear submarines are the crown jewel of the U.S. military and the key to deterring adversaries like China. The Biden administration entered into a historic trilateral partnership with Australia and the UK in 2021, known as AUKUS.
The agreement facilitates deeper information and technology sharing between the three countries, with the United States agreeing to share nuclear submarine technology with Australia for the first time in history. This is also my first time. The United States plans to sell several nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia.
But there’s one problem. The United States does not have enough submarines for its own use. Old submarines are being retired faster than they can be replaced, and the U.S. shipbuilding industry is years behind schedule.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, supports AUKUS but is concerned about how the United States will fulfill its commitments to Australia.
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“The information could not be clearer…China is preparing for war, especially war with the United States,” Wicker said on the Senate floor. “The AUKUS agreement will help prevent that war from occurring.”
Mr. Wicker has been sounding the alarm for years about how America needs to build its industrial base. Wicker put $3.4 billion in national security grants to revitalize the shipbuilding base.
The Navy needs 66 attack submarines, but currently only has 49. In total, the Pentagon is 17 nuclear-powered attack submarines short of Navy requirements and needs to build 2.33 Virginia-class submarines annually to meet AUKUS commitments by deadline.
Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin spoke exclusively with Under Secretary of the Navy Eric Raven about the AUKUS agreement and undersea industrial bases at the Pentagon on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Fox News)
“The basic fact is that our defense industrial base is not where it needs to be,” Wicker said.
U.S. Navy Undersecretary Eric Raven explained how the Navy is dealing with the shortage in an exclusive interview with Fox News. Asked why the submarine industry is so slow and backwards, Raven said demand for submarines has increased five-fold over the past 15 years.
“Industry is ramping up production, but it’s having a hard time. And what we’re seeing is that industry hasn’t quite caught up with the demand signals, but we’re We are doing something about it,” Raven said.
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Raven explained that the U.S. Navy is partnering with private industry, state and local governments, community colleges and nonprofit organizations to hire 100,000 Americans to work in the submarine industry.
“We are experiencing a generational shift in the shipyard and supplier workforce, so we need to develop new talent and bring in more Americans to work in this sector and supply chain. COVID-19 has caused a significant disruption to our ability to do business,” Raven said.
It’s a modern-day “Uncle Sam Wants You!” motion.
Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin spoke exclusively with Under Secretary of the Navy Eric Raven about the AUKUS agreement and submarine industrial bases at the Pentagon on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Fox News)
Nonprofit BlueForge Alliance It is tasked with helping the Navy hire 100,000 Americans.
Co-founder and CEO Kylie Wren called it an appeal to patriotism.
“There are literally tens of thousands of opportunities over the next 10-plus years for long-term, family-supporting, generational jobs with really important purposes,” Wren told Fox News.
“We have jobs that pay well, pay well and support our families, but what matters most is purpose, and the ability to serve our country with every day of our work is something we take great pride in,” Wren said. I did.
On June 16, 2023, the U.S. nuclear submarine Michigan docks in the port of Busan, South Korea. (Reuters/Yonhap News)
Earlier this month, Admiral John Aquilino, the commander of the US Pacific Command, assessed that China could invade Taiwan in 2027. Submarines are one way for the United States to stay ahead of China as a dominant naval force.
“Submarines have a unique role in protecting peace around the world. Their ability to move unchallenged across the world’s oceans is an incredible asymmetrical advantage. .And the United States builds and operates the most advanced submarines in the world,” Raven said.
Asked about reports that China is building a “Long Sea Wall” to monitor submarine activity in waters around China, Raven said he was not concerned.
“We have an incredibly capable submarine force that can meet any challenge our adversaries throw at us…Our submarines are incredibly capable,” Raven said.
Raven emphasized that to stay ahead of China, the United States must have a strong submarine industrial base.
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“These are good, reliable jobs with a long future,” Raven said. “There’s a role for every American interested in building submarines: engineers, welders, electricians, accountants.”
