Back in 2007, the warning signals began to light up that the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines were running out of hull life and reactor life in the coming years, and there was a need to catalyze planning and design of their replacement. When I first came to Congress that year, however, I was stunned to learn that the Navy and Electric Boat were not actively designing the new sea-based deterrent. It was the first time in fifty years that the next class of submarine was not under active design.