US Navy to add largest-ever 20,800-ton nuclear missile submarines

The Pentagon awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $2.28 billion contract on November 17 to support the advanced procurement and construction of five Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines (hulls SSBN-828 through SSBN-832). These submarines represent the next-generation fleet that will serve as the cornerstone of the U.S. sea-based nuclear deterrent for the next 50 years. Work will primarily occur at Electric Boat’s Groton, Connecticut shipyard, with additional activities in Rhode Island and Virginia, coordinated alongside the Naval Sea Systems Command. This contract is part of a long-term effort to replace the aging Ohio-class submarines, which have been the backbone of the U.S. nuclear triad’s sea leg since the 1980s. The Navy plans to field 12 Columbia-class submarines to replace its current fleet of 14 Ohio-class boats, which will begin retiring at a rate of one per year starting in 2027. The Columbia-class subs, the largest ever built for