The US Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $15.38-billion contract modification to accelerate the Columbia-class submarine program.
Under the modification, the General Dynamics subsidiary will aim to address supplier network bottlenecks that have delayed the delivery of the first submarine in the next-generation 12-vessel fleet of nuclear submarines.
The US Navy’s Columbia-class nuclear submarine
Being the most survivable arm of the US strategic nuclear triad the Navy has identified the Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBNs) fleet as a top priority. The fleet will start replacing the Navy’s aging Ohio-class submarines by the 2030s and will remain operational till 2084.
The Columbia-class is US Navy`s largest submarine, it has a length of 560 feet (171 meters) and a beam of 43 feet (13 meters). Its submerged displacement is reported to be of 20,815 tons. It`s design features a teardrop hull, bow mounted long aperture sonar array, sail mounted hydroplanes, 16 Trident D5 submarine launched ballistic missile tubes (located aft of the sail), X-shaped stern and an all electric drive propulsion module directly coupled to a propulsor.
While the delivery of the first of the class submarine SSBN 826 was initially scheduled for 2027, issues arose. In 2024, the Government Accountability Office highlighted program challenges, including supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Other issues included delayed delivery of materials, build quality issues, as well as redesign and rework of some sections of the submarine, primarily caused due to submarine industrial base erosion.
As The Defense Post noted, the Navy did confirm in February that the lead submarine is on track for delivery by 2028. The second is scheduled for the end of the decade, and full-rate production would follow by 2031. Now, the new contract modification aims to bolster the program and build on that momentum.
Addressing a dwindling submarine supplier base
According to a US Department of War statement, the US’s submarine supplier base shrank from approximately 17,000 suppliers in 1980 to 3,500 in 2020. This resulted in “the Columbia class shipbuilders to rely more on single and sole-source suppliers”.
Since 2018 the Navy and shipbuilders have awarded supplier development funding (SDF) primarily to tier two and tier three suppliers, for improving the health of the submarine supplier base.
The US Navy’s $15.38-billion contract modification
Under the $15.38-billion contract modification, the new funding will cover “design, class lead yard support and sustainment,” the US Department of War explained in a press statement. Meanwhile SDF investments, will ensure support for the Columbia-class SSBNs as well as the Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine programs.
The initial contract was awarded in 2020. The US Navy selected General Dynamics for the project. The deal was worth $9.5 billion. It covered the construction of the first two submarines in the fleet. These submarines are USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) and USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827).
Work on the submarine programs will be carried out across various US states, including Groton, Connecticut; Newport News, Virginia; and Sunnyvale, California.