The head of U.S. Strategic Command told lawmakers last week that nuclear modernization remains the Pentagon’s top investment priority, while signaling openness to expanding the Navy’s next-generation ballistic missile submarine fleet beyond current plans.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Adm. Richard Correll said recapitalizing all three legs of the nuclear triad is essential to maintaining a credible deterrent amid growing strategic competition.
Correll told lawmakers the “nation’s nuclear forces” are “the foundation of our national security,” emphasizing that aging systems must be replaced on schedule to avoid capability gaps. The effort includes the Columbia-class submarine to replace the Ohio-class submarine, the LGM-35 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile to replace the Minuteman III, and the B-21 Raider to replace the B-2 Spirit and B-1 Lancer bombers.
Correll underscored that these programs are not optional upgrades but necessary replacements for systems that in some cases date back decades. Delays or underfunding, he warned, would introduce unacceptable risk into the nation’s deterrence posture.
Within that modernization portfolio, Correll highlighted the Columbia-class program as a critical priority, describing it as the future backbone of the sea-based leg of the triad. The Navy currently plans to procure a minimum of 12 boats, but Correll indicated he would be open to reassessing that number if strategic conditions warrant, and added that he would not rule out additional submarines if required to meet evolving deterrence requirements.
“If you just do the math for what we have and the program of record, I will continue to advocate for additional capability at sea in terms of the Columbia-class,” Correll said.
The comments come as lawmakers continue to scrutinize cost, schedule and industrial base challenges facing the Columbia program, which is expected to consume a significant share of the Navy’s shipbuilding budget in the coming decades.
Correll framed the broader modernization effort as a long-term investment that must remain insulated from budget pressures. With multiple major programs moving forward simultaneously, he acknowledged the scale of the undertaking but argued it is necessary given the advancing capabilities of near-peer adversaries.
In Chairman Roger Wicker’s (R-Miss.) opening statement, he agreed, adding “we must restore the National Nuclear Security Administration’s basic industrial capabilities” to make progress on the Sentinel, Columbia-class sub, and the nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile programs.