This Is A Very Big...

 ... ouch. It is also a very strong indicator of the economic strength, or rather lack thereof.  

The U.S. Navy is pushing back the start of construction on its next-generation attack submarine by nearly a decade, citing tight budgets and a need to fund current and near-term operations. A Navy spokesperson told Defense News construction on the lead ship of the SSN(X) program, which will follow the Virginia-class attack submarine, is now planned to start in the “early 2040s.” The Navy last year planned to begin the ship class in 2035, and it was previously set for a 2031 start. In its fiscal 2025 budget, the Navy is seeking to delay spending on several modernization programs, including SSN(X), the DDG(X) next-generation destroyer, and the F/A-XX next-generation fighter.

When I say the United States lost the arms race--I mean it. This is not some hyperbole or figure of speech. Virginias are excellent subs but their Block I would be around 40 years old early 2040s. Virginia is a fourth generation sub, but while she still could be improved as a platform, her weapons' suite is not that impressive, however still dangerous. TLAMs are becoming obsolete, and UGM-84 Harpoon is not getting younger too. This suite loses outright to 3M54, P-800 and 3M22 Zircon carried by Yasen-class. But Russia already has a fifth generation sub with fifth generation capabilities--it is Belgorod, the carrier of Poseidon and hell knows what other advanced underwater drones. The work on the fifth generation modular sub has started in Russia long time ago and already in 2017 there was a very interesting news about newest Project 545 Laika (Husky-class) sub:

Судостроительные предприятия готовы заняться новой лодкой сразу же после достройки серии "Ясеней". По словам заместителя главкома ВМФ вице-адмирала Виктора Бурсука, первую "Хаски" заложат в 2023-2024 годах. Достроить и сдать ее флоту планируется на рубеже 2030-го. Даже по тем обрывочным данным, которые появляются в открытом доступе, очевидно, что засекреченный проект с научно-технической точки зрения будет революционным. ... Строить АПЛ пятого поколения начнут после сдачи серии из семи многоцелевых подлодок проекта 885 "Ясень", которые планируется ввести в боевой состав ВМФ до 2023 года.

Translation: Shipbuilding enterprises are ready to start working on a new boat immediately after the completion of the Yasen series. According to Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Viktor Bursuk, the first Husky will be laid down in 2023-2024. It is planned to complete construction and deliver it to the fleet at the turn of 2030. Even from the fragmentary data that appears in the public domain, it is obvious that the classified project will be revolutionary from a scientific and technical point of view. ... Construction of the fifth-generation nuclear submarines will begin after the delivery of a series of seven Project 885 Yasen multi-purpose submarines, which are planned to be commissioned into the Navy by 2023.

See highlighted? Russian Navy currently has 5 project 885 Yasen-class SSGNs afloat. Arkhangelsk is outfitting at the pier and getting ready for tests. Perm and Ulyanovsk are being built, to be commissioned into the fleet in 2025.This is seven.

Here are some renderings of Laika compared to Yasen-class, many of whose features Laika inherits. 

What is known that Laika will use a lot of composite materials in her hull and, highly likely, a new, much longer range, version of 3M22 Zircon and advanced torpedoes and ASW missiles Otvet. What many people miss, however, is that already in both strategic missile subs of pr. 955A Borei and Yasen-class SSGN weapon systems could be used from a much greater depth than it is traditional in most previous subs which was about 50 meter give and take a few. We are talking about revolutionary technology and this is just a glimpse into it. Keep in mind also that Ulyanovsk is being built not really as pr. 885M but as pr. 09853--yes, Poseidon and other drones carrier (in Russian). I warned about it for many years, that Revolution is coming and that it is this proverbial revolver at the temple of globalist sociopaths and the US will increasingly lose, not edge, it doesn't have the edge at all for a long time, the arms race and then technology race to both China and Russia. But I am sure new CNO Lisa Franchetti knows it all, wink, wink. 

Hey, I earned myself a minute of having a smug face:

After all... drum roll, drum rolling continues, more of a drum roll: I Told You So.