Washington: The US Navy announced that it is awarding contracts for another round of ballistic missile and fast-attack submarines.
The Defence Department is granting a collective $76.6 billion to General Dynamics Electric Boat for five Columbia-class submarines and to both General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding for nine Virginia-class submarines to be built in the coming years.
“This historic investment underscores the department’s continued commitment to undersea superiority and the recapitalisation of our nuclear triad,” said Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, director of submarine programmes. “By securing the continuous production of both the Columbia and Virginia classes, we ensure we will continue to deliver the world’s most lethal, survivable and resilient combat platform.”
The contract includes $29.5 billion for Columbia-class Build II submarines, $42.1 billion for Virginia-class Block VI submarines and $5 billion for investments in nuclear shipbuilding programmes and shipbuilding infrastructure for both shipbuilders.
The Navy currently has seven Columbia-class submarines under contract, 26 active Virginia-class submarines and 23 more Virginia-class submarines in the pipeline for future construction, the service said.
The Navy has made its newest submarine class a top priority over the last several years. The Columbia-class has big shoes to fill: the ships are being built to replace Ohio-class submarines as they phase out of service. The latter continues to play a big part in underwater military operations. An Ohio-class submarine participated in military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer on June 22, 2025.
The Columbia-class is expected to surpass the missile payload and stealth capabilities of the Ohio-class, as well as harness the Trident II D5 Strategic Weapons System and hypersonic missiles.
While construction began on the Columbia-class in 2020, the Virginia class has been around for some time, with the launch of its lead ship in 2003.
Virginia-class submarines, which were designed to replace Los Angeles-class submarines, can host special operation forces undergoing long deployments onboard in a reconfigurable torpedo room.
Despite Columbia-class fabrication beginning six years ago, the programme has faced delays. The lead ship in its class was originally slated for a 2027 delivery but has since been pushed back to 2028 after delivery postponement involving steam turbines and the ship’s bow and stern, according to USNI News.
Government watchdogs initially predicted a rocky construction timeline for the newest addition to the silent service.
A US Government Accountability Office report from January 2023 expressed concern that the building process would encounter hiccups because the ship’s contractor, General Dynamics Electric Boat, hadn’t conducted a “schedule risk analysis.”
The latter practice, which is recommended by the GAO and is part of the Defence Department’s guidelines for large acquisition programmes, helps set expectations for a programme’s completion.
The Navy’s fiscal 2027 budget request for $378 billion includes money for the purchase of one Columbia-class submarine and two Virginia-class submarines.
