Our submarine force is a pre-eminent source of military power and national pride – and Groton is its capital. Just this year, as we mark “Connecticut’s Submarine Century” — 100 years since the designation of Naval Submarine Base New London — Electric Boat was selected as the prime contractor for the Navy’s Ohio Class replacement program. We must continue to leverage this success in the years to come, as the need for submarines is only growing.

We face no shortage of threats from highly antagonistic adversaries — Russia, China, and North Korea are all building increasingly capable submarines, making American undersea dominance more important than ever. Russia has demonstrated its aggressive intentions recently by intensifying its submarine fleet and operations substantially — returning to Cold War levels, according to U.S. and NATO officials. Meanwhile, China has developed a new class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, and the Department of Defense estimates that China may expand its fleet of attack submarines to upward of 73 by 2020. By comparison, the United States is projected to have 52 attack submarines at that point. North Korea has dozens of submarines and is developing submarine-launched ballistic missile capability — a deeply troubling prospect its navy tried to test just last month.

Again and again in Senate Armed Services Committee hearings, our military leaders tell me that our nation needs more attack submarines, and more quickly. I recently heard both from Admiral Harry Harris, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and from General Vincent Brooks, nominated to become commander of U.S. Forces Korea, that submarines are particularly vital in the ever-evolving waters of the Asia Pacific region. Moreover, General Philip Breedlove of U.S. European Command echoed the greater need for submarines in the Atlantic to counter Russia. Military leadership agrees: we must strengthen our submarine force.

Although the Navy has declared the minimum necessary attack submarine force level to be 48 boats, its present budgeting fails to provide for it. The defense budget currently allows for two Virginia Class attack submarines each year, but the budget will be strained when replacement begins for the Ohio Class — ballistic missile submarines that are particularly valuable because they are the leg of the nuclear triad most likely to survive a nuclear conflict. As a result, the Navy has planned to procure only one Virginia Class submarine, rather than two, in the years when it will also procure an Ohio replacement. That plan would bring the number of submarines below 48 in 2025 — reaching a low point of 41 submarines in 2029 and not returning to 48 until 2036.

This decade-long gap in American undersea power is a threat to national and global security. To prevent this lapse, I worked to ensure language was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 that endorses the Navy to procure two Virginia Class submarines in Fiscal Year 2021 when we begin to build the first Ohio Class replacement. This will help keep our submarine force as strong as it needs to be.

To expand submarine production, we must also ensure we have the increased capacity so that the industrial base, much of which is in Connecticut, can meet the challenge. As the industrial base is already experiencing higher demand, the elevated needs of the Ohio replacements, coupled with demands from continuing to produce two Virginia Class submarines, will require extensive planning and preparation. The industrial base must be equipped with the right people, skills, and equipment to meet a more rigorous rate of production.

Fortunately, Electric Boat is in the midst of a substantial hiring increase, stemming from expanded federal investment in the submarine program and laudable cooperation with local governments, colleges, and training programs. I am working to ensure even smoother collaboration involving federal-job training funds, state resources, and Electric Boat to comprehensively address the need for additional workers and for local jobs.

I will be hosting an event next month bringing together executives, educators, Connecticut state officials, the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board, and recent graduates and alumni of Electric Boat’s community college-based technical training programs to discuss the best ways to cultivate the talent pipeline. While increasing submarine production presents sizable challenges, Connecticut’s skilled workforce is more than up to them. Increased community support will only help.

Our submarine fleet, a global leader for over a century, will continue to be a pillar of American security as we build new submarines. For years to come, the talented men and women of the submarine industrial base will carry a heavy workload, keeping good-paying, high-skilled jobs right here in Connecticut. These programs will ensure that the last 100 years of achievements will lead seamlessly to the next century of continued American submarine superiority. I look forward to helping to ensure that Connecticut maintains its central role in keeping our country safe and secure.

Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, is a U.S. senator from Connecticut.