On June 2 1973, Thurmond attended the launch of the "USS L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686)", during which he stated that the Soviet Union was building three submarines for every one built by the U.S. and called for American submarine construction to be accelerated. At a July 1973 hearing, Thurmond suggested that the decision made by former Air Force Major Hal M. Knight to testify had to do with Knight's lack of advancement. Knight responded that he did not take an oath to support the military but instead the constitution.