Key Points – Amid a dangerous and proliferating global nuclear threat environment, the U.S. Navy’s Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) program is a top modernization priority.
-Designed to replace the aging Ohio-class “boomers,” the 12 planned Columbia-class boats will form the most survivable leg of the US nuclear triad for decades to come.
-The program, however, faces significant challenges, including a gargantuan $132 billion price tag, a cost of over $9 billion per boat, and industrial base issues like worker shortages and supply chain delays.
-Despite these hurdles, US Strategic Command is calling for more than 12 boats, and the Pentagon is boosting its funding.
Columbia-Class Submarines in 4 Words: Delays Create Big Problems
China has around 600 nuclear weapons and wants 1,000 by 2030. Russia is always warning there could be a nuclear Armageddon at any time. North Korea often tests ballistic missiles that can pair with nuclear devices. Iran has a nuclear weapons program that Israel has launched attacks on, while President Donald Trump declares that Tehran will never get the bomb. Trump is pondering whether the Americans will intervene in the Israeli-Iranian war to guarantee non-proliferation in the Middle East.
This tension means that US nuclear strategists are looking at ways to answer back in such a dangerous atomic threat environment. One way the US can deliver nuclear doom is through ballistic missile submarines or “boomers.” Also known as SSBNs, these submarines can fire their nuclear-tipped projectiles at any time, anywhere.
Strategic Command Leader Calls for More Columbia SSBNs
One general in charge of US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) is calling for more Columbia-class boomers than the 12 already planned for the Navy. The Columbia-class is designed to execute US deterrence strategy for the next several decades – even for 80 years into the future.
That’s how vital the Columbia-class is to future power projection.
Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this year that STRATCOM will “ensure there is no gap” when the Columbias are integrated into the fleet after the Ohio-class boomers are phased out.
Getting Bright, Shiny New Boomers
The plan is for the Columbia-class to replace 14 of the aging Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). This model is a priority project for the Department of Defense, and Members of Congress are also largely in favor, as they consider the future of the American nuclear triad. The Ohio-class to Columbia-class conversion is expected to be fully complete by 2040.
The Columbia-class is designed to require less maintenance and will be cheaper to keep afloat. The mid-life refueling requirement will be decades into the future, and the Columbia-class will be more survivable due to its increased stealthiness.
Innovations Will Help Nuclear Deterrence Mission
These new boomers will have 16 launch tubes for Trident II D5LE ballistic missiles. The Columbia-class features the unique Large Aperture Bow (LAB) sonar and turbo-electric propulsion, according to ArmyRecognition.com. “This system converts nuclear-generated thermal energy into electricity to power the propulsion motor,” the defense news outlet said.
The Price Tag Is Eye-Watering
Columbia-class boats are expensive and will be difficult to build. The prime contractor for the project is General Dynamics Electric Boat, and its leading partner is Newport News Shipbuilding. The total program cost is a gargantuan $132 billion. Each new Columbia-class boat will ring in at more than $9 billion a unit. To keep expenses down, the US Navy is partnering with the British Royal Navy on a Common Missile Compartment that will be shared with the United Kingdom’s future Dreadnought-class boomers. This is one smart way to decrease redundancies and to fire missiles in a “quad pack” configuration.
The Columbia-class is reusing some components in another cost-cutting move, but lawmakers are concerned about the length of the construction time and the $9 billion price tag. That’s why General Cotton had to venture to Capitol Hill and reassure senators.
The Department of Defense is aware of how high the stakes are. China wants more intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to be launched from hardened silos hidden deep in rural areas across the country. Iran was believed to be just weeks from developing its own bomb before Israel attacked its nuclear infrastructure. Russia also has new ICBMs that Vladimir Putin believes are “super weapons.” North Korea is always spoiling for a nuclear fight as it invests and tests nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles fired from land or submarines.
More Funding for the Columbias in the Latest DOD Budget Request
The US Navy must remain vigilant to address these evolving geopolitical realities. The FY2026 defense budget request from the Trump administration calls for a 14 percent increase in funding for the Columbia-class program. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has articulated the need to grow the shipbuilding industrial base in the United States.
He is aware of the worker shortage and is convinced that the building of the Columbia-class will increase the level of economic development and job growth. Workers on the new subs will be well-paid and highly skilled. However, attracting new employees to build vessels is a challenging task. There are also supply chain issues that have persisted since the pandemic, affecting the availability of new parts and components. Worker shortages and supply chain crimps could delay the Columbia-class boats.
However, Hegseth recognizes that the threat environment will necessitate a greater number of submarine-launched ballistic missiles to ensure deterrence for the remainder of the 21st century.
“No doubt, our nuclear triad is the silent foundation of our entire deterrent effect, and that’s why this budget fully funds all three legs of the triad and makes sure we’re leaning forward and ensuring we have the most capable nuclear deterrent possible,” Hegseth told Congress.
In all, this is still good news for the Columbia-class program. It is expensive, but Pentagon leadership and STRATCOM are aware that costs need to be kept as low as possible. Worker shortages and supply issues have waylaid any type of shipbuilding in America, but these problems can be navigated. Lawmakers are conducting close oversight of the program. And the geopolitical realities necessitate the Columbia-class coming online as soon as possible.
The new boomers will be difference makers for the nuclear triad, and the Silent Service is ready for them to dominate the seas into the 2080s.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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