Rep. Randy Forbes defends funding strategy for new subs

Last week, Rep. Randy Forbes found himself in a familiar place: Explaining why Congress should pay for the Navy's top priority outside of the annual shipbuilding budget.

And for the second time in as many months, the Chesapeake Republican got his way in a debate that has implications for the nation and Hampton Roads.

For the Navy, a new fleet of ballistic missile submarines is a top priority, leaders have told Congress. Armed with long-range nuclear warheads, the boats will replace the aging Ohio-class submarine fleet that forms a major portion of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.

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