I’m sending
out an S.O.S. This is a distress call to save our submarines! Over the
next ten years our country plans to prematurely lay to rest more than 190
submarine years. That’s throwing away more than six perfectly good submarines!
While we may save some money in the
near term, what we as a nation lose is priceless capability - a capability
that statistically has been steadily on the rise. Knowing this, it’s penny-wise,
but pound-foolish.
At the same time submarines are being
cut up early, the national tasking for submarines has more than doubled.
And if trends remain unchanged, increasingly more critical requirements
will go unfulfilled. There is already a deficit in the number of
submarines required to satisfy national interests in the Pacific, and we
can no longer meet the high-priority tasks assigned by national leadership.
But we do have a chance to stem the
tide, but only with immediate action. Today, we have the opportunity
to salvage eight Los Angeles class fast-attack submarines currently slated
for early retirement. Additionally, our country has a once-in-a-life-time
chance to convert four of the most capable, stealthy Ohio-class submarines
to undersea battleships, capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles
and dozens of Navy SEALs.
One of these submarines could single-handedly
relieve an entire carrier battle group of Tomahawk responsibilities, which
in turn would be available to protect our interests in other important
areas.
Make no mistake about it -- this
is a distress call. We need your assistance now to help support making
an investment in our collective future by helping us navigate in these
perilous waters. Together, and with immediate action, we can stay the course.
Help "Save Our Submarines."
RADM Al H. Konetzni
Commander Submarine Force
U.S. Pacific Fleet
