As heated questioning in Congress centers on the Department of Defense years-long lag in shipbuilding and yard-periods (see stories on the USS Boise), the Defense Department is taking a hard look at the possibility of backing away from the AUKUS pact. Criticism of the 2021 deal focuses on the sale of up to five Virginia Class boats to bridge the gap from 2032 until the SSN Aukus comes into service in the early 2040s. Of most concern to critics of the arrangement is throwing security into doubt as tensions rise with China; the agreement has no stipulation that the submarines sold would be used exclusively in that theater of operation.