Opinion
The National Interest on MSNOpinion

The US Navy’s SSN(X) submarine program is slowly sinking

The US Navy does not have the capacity to build the SSN(X) submarines at scale—but rather than acknowledging this, it has simply attempted to delay their completion dates.
The HMS Anson is the fifth Astute-class fast attack submarine in Royal Navy service—and the eighth vessel to bear the name of George Anson, an 18th-century British admiral.
Hai Kun (SS-711), also known as Narwhal, successfully completed its first submerged sea trials on January 29, 2026.
The following is the Jan. 26, 2026, Congressional Research Service report, Navy Virginia-Class Submarine Program and AUKUS ...