Originally Posted by
ORAC
The flexibility of an SSN.....
Whether there is an N or not, any boat being away from the dock is a complication to the B team. My point is, SSNs are inherently a long range projection of power, and they achieve the range as a consequence of higher production and maintenance costs compared to their little brothers, the SS/SSGs. While manning might appear to be higher for a large fleet of SS boats, each boat is a lower component of the capital ships of a nation.
Quantity has a quality all of its own when things get kinetic, all other things being equal. SS boats are generally a pain to track. Id take a 6 pack over a single bottle any day.
On basing, a single base is an invitation for bad things to happen. Boats should be distributed whenever possible, their location is not something that should be traced on google earth. This includes all existing naval facilities, Ukraine has been handing out pointers of what to care about, that needs an overhaul of our assumptions unless we want our fleets to resemble the boneyards of Rybachiy bay.