Biden Requests $7.4 Billion to Counter China, Build Attack Submarines

The Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-commissioning Unit (PCU) John Warner (SSN 785) is moved to Newport News Shipbuilding's floating dry dock in preparation for the September 6 christening in Newport News, Virginia, U.S. August 31, 2014. U.S. Navy/John Whalen/Huntington Ingalls Industries/Handout via REUTERS

The Biden administration’s new supplemental funding request includes billions of dollars to counter the malign influence of communist China throughout the world and to strengthen the United States’ naval forces.

Of the mammoth $106 billion request, the administration is seeking $4 billion to provide military training to regional partners in the Indo-Pacific and provide long-term financing options abroad as an alternative to China’s predatory lending schemes.

Additionally, the administration seeks $3.4 billion to build out the nation’s submarine industrial base in the hopes of securing a stronger military advantage over the regime’s navy, which is the largest in the world.

“It’s critically important that we maintain our focus on strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and supporting key allies and partners as part of our efforts to maintain peace and stability,” said White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

US Looks to Float More Attack Submarines

Key to the administration’s efforts is a request to help build out U.S. defense industrial capacity so that it can more quickly build and continuously float fast attack submarines.

The proposed funding would cover the costs of improvements and new infrastructure work at the U.S. Navy’s four public shipyards, as well as several workforce initiatives, which the administration says will increase production rates and submarine availability.

“This funding will accelerate build and sustainment rates for attack submarines, one of our most effective capabilities for maintaining deterrence, in order to meet U.S. military requirements,” a White House fact sheet obtained by The Epoch Times said.

Though the lion’s share of the funds would pass through the Department of Defense, some will go to the National Nuclear Security Administration, indicating that the vessels involved will include the nuclear-powered Virginia-class fast-attack submarine.

Australia committed to purchasing three Virginia-class submarines from the United States as part of the 2021 AUKUS security partnership. The fact sheet also noted that Australia committed to providing financial investments in the U.S. submarine industrial base to accelerate the delivery of the three Virginia-class submarines.

The trilateral agreement will see the United States and the UK provide Australia with assistance in building its own nuclear-powered submarines over the coming decade.

“The budget request makes notable strategic investments, including by strengthening our submarine industrial base, a key component to making our AUKUS agreement a success, and by improving our infrastructure and adding capacity to meet U.S. military requirements,” Mr. Sullivan said.

Regional Military Training to Counter China in Indo-Pacific

The supplemental request also includes $2 billion to train foreign militaries in the Indo-Pacific and $2 billion to provide lending alternatives to communist China’s “coercive and unsustainable” international lending schemes.

Mr. Sullivan said that the funding for foreign military partners would go to “multiple partners” through the State Department. He did not specify which nations were involved or to what extent they had been consulted in the process of crafting the request, however.

“The State Department’s foreign military financing that’s included in the Indo-Pacific portion of the supplemental request is for multiple partners in the region, to strengthen deterrence and enhance peace and stability across the entire Indo-Pacific region,” Mr. Sullivan said.

The funds will also serve to transition regional partners away from reliance on Russian military equipment, possibly paving the way for them to buy from the American defense sector.

“This funding will bolster deterrence and support key allies and partners as they face an increasingly assertive [China], and will support partners transitioning off of Russian military equipment,” the fact sheet said.

“Our allies and partners in the region need our support more than ever and this request provides significant new resources to help them build the capabilities to meet emerging challenges,” Mr. Sullivan said.