How many Seawolf-class submarines should have been built?

Should the United States have built more than three Seawolf-class submarines?

Yes - at least eight and preferably ten before moving to the Virginia class.

The preferred program would build at least eight Seawolfs and preferably ten. Two five-boat squadrons would retain a substantial force optimized for intense submarine hunting. Virginia remains highly capable, but it answered a post-Cold War expectation that the most extreme anti-submarine performance was no longer necessary. Ending Seawolf at three boats surrendered too much high-end capacity. The comparison resembles the broader choice between a specialized peak performer and a more affordable multirole successor.