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Well, it was the NR running on Rickover fumes that eliminated the diesel boat and permanently lock the Sub force into sub 50 numbers. They only way to plus up the sub numbers by 2030 is to buy a $hit ton of U 212 class AIP boats and base them in the first island chain. At this point you need down range shooters. They don't all have to be fast, deep ocean hunter killers.
Well, it was the NR running on Rickover fumes that eliminated the diesel boat and permanently lock the Sub force into sub 50 numbers. They only way to plus up the sub numbers by 2030 is to buy a $hit ton of U 212 class AIP boats and base them in the first island chain. At this point you need down range shooters. They don't all have to be fast, deep ocean hunter killers.
PT boats are cheaper and can sling torpedos all day (and night) long.
But are they survivable? At least the U212 can survive long enough to clear the battle space when they run out of torps.
Missile corvettes. 57mm, RAM launchers, 16 NSMs, and UAV for IRST.
The world looked a lot different when the LA class was launched.
That was the world of "oh man, the Soviets have 400 submarines and we only have 100, that's not nearly enough!"
NR did not lock the submarine force at 50, that was a CJCS, Powell, decision based on budget. When Seawolf got so expensive, NR had a cheaper slower power plant on the drawing board.. hence the VA class..