"Commander A. Edmiston's article accurately identifies the challenge the Navy is facing, real-world operational requirements for submarines exceed the current and projected submarine force. The gap between available nuclear submarines and operational requirements causes operational tasking to go unfulfilled. Filling this gap with smaller, diesel submarines appears enticing to some, primarily because of a misconception regarding the life-cycle costs of a diesel versus a nuclear submarine. But no matter the cost of a diesel submarine, it is poorly suited for our operational needs, given the near certainty that long distances and short time lines will be involved. Diesel submarines have neither the speed nor the endurance required to support the operations."