The U.S. Navy is moving forward with plans for its next class of nuclear attack submarines, and the design calls for a vessel that is faster, easier to maintain, and capable of operating as a mothership for a constellation of undersea drones. The boat, currently designated SSN(X), will follow the Virginia-class attack submarines and is intended to keep America ahead of China's rapidly expanding underwater fleet.
Rear Adm. Andrew Miller, the Navy's head of requirements for submarines, outlined the service's vision during the Naval Submarine League's annual conference on Thursday, according to USNI News. Miller said the Navy is finalizing its analysis of alternatives for the SSN(X) and hopes to receive approval to begin early development—known as Milestone A—by the end of the year.
The Navy completed its own analysis of alternatives in November 2025, and the requirements were validated by the Pentagon's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office in March, USNI News reported. The service is now sourcing manufacturers for the new boats, though they are not expected to enter service until the 2040s.
The SSN(X) is being designed with five key characteristics, according to USNI News: higher flank speed and tactical control speed (the maximum speed at which a submarine can operate while maintaining stealth); improved operational availability, meaning a lower ratio of deployment time to dockyard maintenance; decisive lethality; superior stealth; and the ability to serve as a mothership for undersea drones.
The drone-mothership concept represents a significant shift in attack-submarine design. Instead of relying solely on torpedoes and missiles, the SSN(X) would deploy and control unmanned underwater vehicles for surveillance, reconnaissance, and potentially offensive operations. That capability could extend the submarine's reach and keep it out of harm's way while its drones do the dangerous work.
The Navy's push comes as China continues to build out its submarine force. Beijing has been expanding both its nuclear and conventional attack submarine fleets, and the Pentagon has identified undersea warfare as a key area of competition. The SSN(X) is meant to ensure the U.S. maintains its advantage in stealth, speed, and combat power beneath the waves.
But the timeline is a concern. With the first SSN(X) boats not expected until the 2040s, the Navy will rely on its Virginia-class submarines—and the upcoming Block VI and Block VII variants—to hold the line in the meantime. The service is also working to improve maintenance and repair timelines for existing boats, a persistent problem that has reduced operational availability.
RedState noted that the new boats' future depends on congressional funding, warning that a future Democratic majority could defund the program altogether. For now, the Navy is proceeding with plans to award detailed design and construction contracts, with Milestone A approval expected by the end of the year.
The SSN(X) program is still in its early stages, and many details—including its final cost, displacement, and exact capabilities—remain classified or undecided. But the direction is clear: the Navy wants a submarine that can fight and win in a contested undersea environment, and it wants that submarine to bring a fleet of robots with it.
Our Take
China is building submarines at a pace that should alarm every American. The CCP's navy is growing faster than ours, and the Pentagon knows it. The SSN(X) is a step in the right direction—faster, stealthier, and smart enough to control drone swarms—but the timeline is a problem. The 2040s are a long way off, and the Chinese Communist Party isn't waiting around.
What's more, the program depends on Congress actually funding it. Republicans control the government now, and they need to make sure the Navy has the money it needs to get these boats built. The last thing we need is a bunch of RINOs or Democrats gutting the program in the name of budget cuts or climate change or whatever the cause du jour is.
The SSN(X) is exactly the kind of weapon system America needs to maintain its edge under the sea. It's lethal, it's innovative, and it puts drones where they belong—out front, doing the dangerous work. But it won't matter if we don't build it fast enough. Patriots, it's time to tell your representatives in Washington: fund the submarine fleet, and fund it now. The Chinese are not waiting. Neither should we.
