Key Points and Summary- The US Navy is facing a significant 17-month delay in the delivery of its newest and most critical submarine, the USS District of Columbia, the first of the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Making matters worse, is the giant cost of the program over its lifetime: $348 billion.
-Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral James Kilby confirmed to the Senate this week that the lead boat is now expected in March 2029, not October 2027. The Columbia-class is the future sea-based leg of the US nuclear triad, replacing the aging Ohio-class.
-The delay, attributed to manufacturing and supply chain issues, could create a critical gap in America’s strategic deterrence capabilities and has drawn intense scrutiny from Congress.
Navy Struggling With Columbia-Class Submarine Delays
The United States Navy is reportedly developing a recovery plan for a projected delay of at least 17 months for the delivery of its newest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) submarine, the USS District of Columbia, according to the acting Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).
“We are trying desperately to claw back that schedule,” Admiral James Kilby told the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, June the twenty-fourth.
Kilby said he and Navy Secretary John Phelan have been working with the submarine’s program managers in an effort to determine “where there’s opportunities to move that to the left.” This is a reference to an earlier delivery schedule. However, the Admiral did not specify a date for the earlier delivery estimate.
“I’m optimistic but the schedule of March 2029 is where we’re at,” he said.
A New Leg Of The Triad
The Columbia-class boats will be the new sea leg of the US nuclear triad, along with the Sentinel land-based ICBM and the B-21 bomber.
General Dynamics Corp. and HII are the design and production contractors for the 12-boat class.
According to their design concept, each sub will be assembled from six large hull segments.
The 12 Columbia-class submarines are planned to replace the existing 14 Ohio-class platforms, which are currently the main component of the US sea-based nuclear deterrent. The Ohio-class boats were procured from 1976 through 1991 and have been in operation for over 30 years.
Initially scheduled for retirement in 2027, the Ohio-class fleet underwent a modernization process to extend the service life of these submarines to 2040. The major refit included multiple improvements, such as battery and shaft replacement, structural repairs, the installation of new sensors, and a nuclear refueling overhaul.
The price tag for the first two new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines is turning out to be “significantly” over their original projected cost, according to congressional auditors who analyzed the latest cost estimates earlier this month. The program’s estimated total build cost has already increased by 6% to approximately $126 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office. The program itself over its lifetime will nearly cost $350 billion.
Just How Much Of A Delay for Columbia-Class?
Navy acquisition officials have repeatedly stated that the Columbia’s estimated delivery date will be 12 to 18 months later than its original October 2027 contracted delivery milestone. The delay is being caused, according to the US Government Accountability Office, by issues related to work instructions, late materials, and US shipbuilding capacity—all of which contributed to the postponements of milestones.
The extra time required to build these platforms could put the Navy far behind Chinese undersurface capabilities, say intelligence analysts familiar with the program and its intended role in countering the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
In the meantime, the testimony given by Kilby produced certain levels of confusion when he said, “We are now on a pace to deliver that sub approximately two years late—March 2029.”
“The Admiral did not misspeak,” his office later told the Bloomberg News outlet. “The ‘two-year’ comment was describing the two calendar years—2027-2029. To clarify—the program office has the current estimated delivery date of the lead ship as March 2029—a 17-month delay from October 2027.”
In such situations—particularly those involving advanced new projects or new-generation designs—program delays with primary weapons systems are almost always measured against their originally projected contract delivery dates.
Despite these issues, the Columbia-Class program has had some positive developments recently. Following years of delay, Northrop Grumman Corp delivered in April the first of the Columbia’s two turbine power generators that provide propulsion and electrical power for the submarine.
The second power turbine is scheduled for delivery this summer, according to an official statement from the Naval Sea Systems Command.
“The delivery of the turbine generators is a positive step, but just one of many factors impacting SSBN 826’s delivery schedule,” the command statement reads. “We continue to work with the shipbuilders to take innovative and aggressive actions to recover schedule.”
About the Author:
Reuben F. Johnson is a survivor of the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and is an Expert on Foreign Military Affairs and Director of the Asian Research Centre with the Fundacja im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego in Warsaw. He has been a consultant to the Pentagon, several NATO governments and the Australian government in the fields of defense technology and weapon systems design. Over the past 30 years he has resided in and reported from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China and Australia.
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