Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Navy’s first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), is now projected for delivery by late 2028 after years of production delays. General Dynamics says supplier performance is steadying and all major modules are in place.
-The Columbia-class will replace the 1980s-era Ohio-class boats on a one-for-one basis.
(March 31, 2006) – The guided missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) conducts sea trials off the coast of Virginia. Florida will be delivered to the Fleet in April, and a Return To Service ceremony is scheduled for May 25 in Mayport, Fla. As the second of four SSBN submarines to be converted to SSGN, this nuclear-powered submarine will have the capability to: launch up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles; conduct sustained special warfare operations with up to 102 Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel for short durations or 66 SOF personnel for sustained operations; and provide approximately 70 percent operational availability forward deployed in support of combatant mission requirements. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Journalist (SW/AW) Dave Fliesen.
The guided missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) arrives in Souda Bay, Greece, May 21, 2013, for a scheduled port visit. The Florida was underway in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Paul Farley/Released)
The Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Maine (SSBN 741) begins a dive into the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the Washington Coast, March 18, 2025, during routine operations. Special units within the Coast Guard are tasked with the protection of U.S. Naval submarines while surfaced and transiting U.S. territorial waters to and from their patrol stations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Strohmaier)
(July 29, 2025) – A U.S. Air Force A10C Thunderbolt II flies over the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) in the Pacific Ocean, July 29, 2025. The armed airborne escort exercise is designed to increase and demonstrate the Joint Force’s capability to protect strategic assets like Kentucky. Submarine Group (SUBGRU) 9, exercises administrative and operational control authority for assigned submarine commands and units in the Pacific Northwest providing oversight for shipboard training, personnel, supply and material readiness of submarines and their crews. SUBGRU-9 is also responsible for nuclear submarines undergoing conversion or overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. (U.S. Navy Photo by Lt. Zachary Anderson)
The Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Maine (SSBN 741) transits the Puget Sound during routine operations, March 18, 2025. Commander, Submarine Group (SUBGRU) 9, exercises administrative control authority for assigned submarine commands and units in the Pacific Northwest providing oversight for shipboard training, personnel, supply and material readiness of SSBNs and their crews. SUBGRU-9 is also responsible for nuclear submarines undergoing conversion or overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan Riley)
-Vice Admiral Rob Gaucher calls on-time delivery ‘a life-or-death imperative’ for the U.S. nuclear deterrent as China and Russia expand their arsenals.
The U.S. Navy’s Columbia-Class Is Back on Track
The U.S. Navy’s first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), is now projected for delivery by the end of 2028, according to statements made by Danny Deep, president of General Dynamics, during an April 29, 2026, earnings call. The submarine is being assembled at General Dynamics Electric Boat and represents the Pentagon’s top acquisition priority due to its role in maintaining the United States’ nuclear deterrent.
The comments follow delays in the program due to component production issues. The Navy still plans for the vessel’s first deterrent patrol to take place around 2030.
The Comeback Has Begun for the Columbia-Class After a Rough Start
According to Deep, General Dynamics has reported measurable progress in the assembly of SSBN-826 over the past year.
He also noted significant improvements in supplier performance and shipyard efficiency, indicating the program was operating more efficiently than before.
Those improvements, Deep said, have resulted in “positive momentum on Columbia,” adding that all the major modules required for the vessel were received by the end of last year.
SOUDA BAY, Greece (Sept. 7, 2019) The Ohio-class cruise missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) arrives in Souda Bay, Greece, for a scheduled port visit, Sept. 7, 2019. NSA Souda Bay is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed and when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. (Photo by Joel Diller/Released)
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Wash. (Aug. 14, 2003) — Illustration of USS Ohio (SSGN 726) which is undergoing a conversion from a Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) to a Guided Missile Submarine (SSGN) designation. Ohio has been out of service since Oct. 29, 2002 for conversion to SSGN at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Four Ohio-class strategic missile submarines, USS Ohio (SSBN 726), USS Michigan (SSBN 727) USS Florida (SSBN 728), and USS Georgia (SSBN 729) have been selected for transformation into a new platform, designated SSGN. The SSGNs will have the capability to support and launch up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, a significant increase in capacity compared to other platforms. The 22 missile tubes also will provide the capability to carry other payloads, such as unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Special Forces equipment. This new platform will also have the capability to carry and support more than 66 Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land) and insert them clandestinely into potential conflict areas. U.S. Navy illustration. (RELEASED)
Ohio-Class Submarine U.S. Navy.
“And so we’re in the process of integrating and assembling those in one of our larger yards, and expect to have a real key milestone achieved by the end of this year,” he said.
This is what many would consider a comeback of sorts after a string of negative headlines. The Columbia-class program was originally scheduled to deliver its lead submarine in 2027. That timeline slipped primarily due to delays in producing key components, including steam turbines, and the late delivery of the bow and stern sections.
Despite General Dynamics’ claim that the ship will be ready by 2028, the U.S. Navy’s official Fiscal Year 2027 budget submission still lists a March 2029 delivery date for SSBN-826. The second submarine, USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827), is currently projected for delivery in April 2030.
The upcoming Columbia-class submarines are intended to replace the aging Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, which entered service in the 1980s. The Navy plans to procure 12 Columbia-class boats, each designed for a 42-year service life without mid-life nuclear refueling.
Industrial Base Constraints
Delays in the Columbia program are part of a much bigger problem: broad industrial base constraints that are limiting U.S. submarine and boat construction.
The Congressional Research Service noted in a 2025 report that a combination of supplier shortfalls and workforce shortages, along with component manufacturing delays and worldwide supply chain disruptions, has affected the schedules of both the Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines.
General Dynamics now says that some of those problems have been mitigated, with supplier performance beginning to steady and deliveries of critical parts becoming more predictable. Those improvements are allowing shipbuilders to complete receipt of all major modules for SSBN-826 and transition to full integration, in which the parts are pieced together to form the completed submarine.
The Navy has also taken some organizational steps to address production challenges. In April 2026, Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher assumed leadership of a dedicated submarine production office tasked with stabilizing schedules and accelerating delivery timelines. In April 2026, Gaucher described the on-time delivery of the Columbia-class as a “life or death imperative.”
Beyond those immediate fixes, the Navy is currently attempting to scale the submarine industrial base to meet its production targets.
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) said in September 2024 that submarine construction capacity must “nearly double,” requiring an additional 3.5 to 4.5 million production labor hours every year to support planned output.
That same statement also noted the supplier base had contracted to roughly one-third of its size compared to 30 years ago, contributing to a reduction in surge capacity.
And, workforce shortages remain a central constraint across the industry. NAVSEA also said that the submarine enterprise needs to recruit and train approximately 140,000 workers over the next decade across skilled trades and engineering roles required for nuclear-powered submarine construction and sustainment.
The Schedule Cannot Slip
The Columbia-class needs to arrive on time. This is not just any shipbuilding program – it underpins the sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, which accounts for the majority of deployed warheads and is considered the most survivable component of the deterrent.
The Columbia-class is expected to replace the Ohio-class on a one-for-one basis, ensuring continuous at-sea deterrence as existing boats retire on their own fixed schedules. And that schedule leaves little margin for further disruption.
The Congressional Research Service has repeatedly warned that any additional delays could create a coverage gap in the number of available ballistic missile submarines, particularly in the early 2030s, as Ohio-class retirements begin to accelerate.
And at the same time, the strategic environment is becoming less forgiving. China and Russia are building their own capabilities, with Beijing in particular rapidly expanding its arsenal and Moscow continuing to modernize its delivery systems.
The Columbia timeline, then, is an important strategic requirement – and any further slippage risks undermining the Navy’s ability to maintain a continuous, credible deterrent at sea just as global nuclear competition is intensifying.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
