The US Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $15.38-billion contract modification to advance, sustain, and accelerate the Columbia-class submarine program.
Considered the Navy’s top acquisition priority, the planned fleet of 12 Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines will replace the aging Ohio-class submarine fleet in the 2030s, ensuring continuity of the US nuclear triad.
The new funding supports ongoing design work, sustainment efforts, and lead shipyard activities, while also strengthening the submarine industrial base and improving program coordination. Investments in the supply chain will benefit both the Columbia-class and the Virginia-class submarine program.
Work is spread across multiple US locations, including Groton, Connecticut; Newport News, Virginia; and Sunnyvale, California.
Earlier, Electric Boat secured a $9.5-billion contract in 2020 to begin construction of the first two submarines, USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) and USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827), initially targeted for delivery in 2027. However, disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with design and construction challenges, created schedule risks identified in 2024.
By February 2026, the Navy confirmed the lead submarine is now expected in 2028, with full-rate production planned by 2031 and the second vessel arriving later in the decade.
Each Columbia-class submarine incorporates advanced stealth features, including optimized hull design, acoustic coatings, and vibration-reducing internal systems. Measuring about 560 feet in length, the vessels can exceed speeds of 20 knots and operate at depths greater than 800 feet. They are equipped with 16 Trident II D5 missile systems, also used on Ohio-class and the UK’s Vanguard-class submarine fleet.
