How America's Nuclear Submarine Plan Got a Boost at the Republican Debate

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called for a boost in America's nuclear submarine presence during the third Republican presidential primary debate in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday night.

He outlined his idea for the vessels while discussing the United States deterring China, which he called "the enemy."

"Let's be really clear: The nuclear submarines in this United States Navy is the greatest deterrent to Chinese aggression, and that is the first place I would go to increase American naval power," Christie said.

China recently launched its first nuclear-powered guided missile submarine, according to a Pentagon report. The submarines were seen in China's shipyards for more than a year, but the report, released October 20, was the first official confirmation. The Pentagon warned that the development "notably" enhances China's "power projection capability." It's estimated that China could have 65 nuclear- and diesel-powered vessels by 2025.

On Sunday, the United States announced it deployed an Ohio-class submarine to the Middle East designed to carry nuclear missiles, although it was unclear if nuclear-capable missiles were aboard the vessel.

The rare broadcasting of the submarine's movements was largely seen as a way of sending a message to the world about America's support for Israel as unrest swells.

U.S. Defense Department officials have long stressed the need to continue innovating America's nuclear weapons program, as well as America's overall military capabilities.

In October, the Defense Department announced the U.S. was developing a new version of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb. The goal of creating the new bomb is to replace an older version and give President Joe Biden the option to hit additional "harder and large-area military targets."

Christie suggested the threat of U.S. nuclear submarines could prevent China from attacking Taiwan.

"If we're going to deter China from invading Taiwan, the only way we're going to do it is to make sure that they don't know whether how many nuclear submarines for the United States of America are in the South China Sea and in that area and ready to strike on them if they decide to move on Taiwan," he said.

Christie continued by saying the nuclear submarine needs to be "our first priority" and "we need to increase it drastically."

While he also advocated a boost in Navy shops, he repeated that "submarines are the single most important thing that we can be deterring that we can use to deter China."