Dedicated SSGNs for concentrated conventional strike

The initial objection is that concentrating conventional strike weapons in Virginia-class attack boats adds another mission to hulls already needed for undersea warfare. A larger dedicated guided-missile submarine could deliver a heavy opening salvo from an unexpected direction and complicate an opponent's response. This preference concerns the division of work between specialized strike submarines and multipurpose attack boats. Later in the review, the tables do identify Virginia-derived SSGNs at roughly one every three years. The initial passage therefore should not be read as establishing that the entire plan omits a guided-missile submarine program.