Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

US Sub Build Stalls; China Fields 60, Korea Targets Nuclear

6/13/2026

35 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Analyst Mark Cancian said the United States cannot accelerate submarine production until the mid-2030s because of shipyard and labor constraints.
The Pentagon reported China’s navy operates 60 submarines, including six nuclear attack and six nuclear missile boats.
World Population Review counted more than 480 active submarines serving over 40 nations in 2025.
South Korea fields 22 submarines and plans a nuclear Jang-Bogo-N sub by the mid-2030s.

History

Historical Context

Designed in the 1970s, the Ohio-class SSBNs were built from hull sections fabricated at General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Quonset Point plant and assembled in Groton, Connecticut, with fourteen boats entering service beginning with USS Ohio’s 1981 commissioning. The program’s reliance on a single shipyard now echoes today’s labor shortages, prompting analysts such as Mark Cancian to warn of delayed Columbia-class deliveries into the mid-2030s.

1 of 2

Story summary

Analyst Mark Cancian said the United States cannot accelerate submarine production until the mid-2030s because of shipyard and labor constraints.
The Pentagon reported China’s navy operates 60 submarines, including six nuclear attack and six nuclear missile boats.
World Population Review counted more than 480 active submarines serving over 40 nations in 2025.
South Korea fields 22 submarines and plans a nuclear Jang-Bogo-N sub by the mid-2030s.

1 / 2