Backlogged US Defense Industry Crimps Bid for More Attack Subs

The US submarine industrial base is unable to build more than one Virginia-class attack submarine a year and needs significant overhaul to ramp up to produce two of the vessels by 2028, the chairman of the House defense spending panel said.

“I talked to the CEOs of all the primes and sub-contractors and they just look me in the eye and say, `'We can’t do it,’” Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) said in an exclusive interview, referring to building a second Virginia-class submarine in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are incensed over the ...