More than 30 per cent of US attack submarines out of service - The US is at a loss against China

The large number of fighter jets that are not ready for combat is not the only problem for the US military. The difficult situation with attack submarines is also a headache for the Ministry of Defence.

Here's What We Know

The US Navy said that 18 out of 49 attack submarines have been taken out of service and are being repaired. This means the service is unable to use 37 per cent of its subs against a target of 20 per cent.

The command later provided updated figures showing that maintenance work was still pending on 16 of the 49 submarines at the end of last month. 32% is still well above the target. This situation puts the U.S. at a severe disadvantage against China's numerically superior People's Liberation Army fleet.

The problems have significantly reduced the number of U.S. nuclear-powered submarines. This limits the U.S. Navy's ability to perform day-to-day missions and prevents it from increasing the operational workload of the subs that are in service.

In 2017, the rate of submarines out of service was at 28 per cent. Five years later, it has increased to 33 per cent. In contrast, the best year in terms of combat readiness for the US Navy was 2015, when only 19 per cent of attack submarines (10 out of 53 units) were in repair.

The US Department of Defence considers submarine forces as a key advantage over the Chinese Navy. It is important to note here that all Ohio-class submarines are in operational status.

These particular strategic missile cruisers are the carriers of Trident II intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. In addition, the Ohio class includes a quartet of nuclear-powered submarines with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Source: Bloomberg