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But submarines require a shipbuilding revolution too! The total number of submarines in US Navy service has been steadily decreasing over the last decade or so.
by openasocket 2y ago
But submarines require a shipbuilding revolution too! The total number of submarines in US Navy service has been steadily decreasing over the last decade or so. We don't have the industrial capacity to build submarines faster than our old ones are decommissioning. The issue actually isn't with carriers, I believe we're more or less on schedule with carrier building. The issue where this is most apparent is submarines, and also with the merchant fleet (which would be needed during wartime to ship supplies).
- indymike 2y agoI'm not sure how much longer submarines will be militarily relevant. Longer for sure than large surface combatants, but we're relying largely on hiding for defense... and there's no guarantee that hiding will work forever.
- openasocket 2y agoSure, but if you are holding out for something that will be militarily relevant forever, you're going to be waiting a long time :) I also think the concerns about the the ability of large ships to defend themselves in modern combat are a bit overblown. Just because there exists a weapon system that can defeat something, doesn't mean that thing is irrelevant. You'll see all these comparisons of the cost of a surface combatant with the cost of an anti-ship missile or drone as though that decides the matter. But it really doesn't. It costs a ton of money to train and equip and infantry soldier, and yet you can kill that solider with a bullet that costs pennies. Does that mean infantry have been obsolete for the last few centuries? Of course not! A system is not obsolete until something comes along that can perform that same role, but better.