The US Navy’s plan for almost 20 guided-missile subs and why that will matter around China

Professor Alessio Patalano provided commentary to CNN on the US Navy’s plan to reclassify 19 Virginia-class submarines as guided-missile submarines, examining what the shift could mean for undersea warfare around China. Patalano highlighted the advantage of dispersing strike capability across a greater number of platforms:

“They expand the number of platforms that can bring the fight deep into an enemy’s territory, and as such opponents will have to contend with more assets they have to track, or at least try to.”

He also noted that the new Virginia-class SSGNs would provide “a genuine uplift in the strike function”, giving the newest boats greater strike capability in contested waters.

Read the full article on CNN: The US Navy’s plan for almost 20 guided-missile subs and why that will matter around China