Aukus submarines hinge on a presidential certification the US fleet may not pass

Before any Virginia-class submarine reaches Australia under Aukus, the US president must certify the sale won't diminish the navy's undersea capability. That's a statutory gate, not a formality. The US fleet has 49 boats against a target of 66. Pentagon official Elbridge Colby says the pact is "full steam ahead." The shipyard numbers say otherwise.