
A Navy proposal to speed up the purchase of three Virginia-class attack submarines is a welcome step but would make only a modest dent in the military’s shortfall of those vessels, according to the head of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM).“They would clearly increase our nation’s capability and, if assigned to PACOM, PACOM’s capability,” said Navy Adm. Harry Harris, PACOM’s commander. “But three or four are inadequate in the grand scheme based simply on my requirements, which have to be adjudicated…