Major Milestone for US Navy's Future Nuclear-Armed S...

By Ryan Chan

China News Reporter

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The United States has reached a milestone in building the Navy's first next-generation submarine equipped with nuclear missiles as it races to modernize its air-, land- and sea-based strategic forces against Russia and China.

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment via email. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why It Matters

The U.S. has the world's second-largest nuclear arsenal by number of warheads, with 3,700 available for use by its nuclear triad—intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-capable aircraft—ensuring the nation can respond to a nuclear attack under any circumstances.

As Russia and China, the world's largest and third-largest nuclear powers, respectively, have tested new nuclear-capable weapons and fielded more modern missiles, the U.S. is overhauling all three components of its nuclear triad, replacing aging systems with new ones, including swapping 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines for 12 Columbia-class submarines.

What To Know

The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command announced on Friday that the bow section of the future USS District of Columbia, the first Columbia-class submarine, has been delivered to builder General Dynamics Electric Boat for final assembly and testing.

The fleet of Columbia-class submarines is designed for modular construction, with 78 percent of the work performed by prime contractor General Dynamics Electric Boat at two sites: its Quonset Point facility in Rhode Island and the Groton shipyard in Connecticut.

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia is responsible for building the bows and sterns. The shipbuilder delivered the stern of the District of Columbia to General Dynamics Electric Boat's Quonset Point facility in January 2024.

The delivery of the bow—transported by barge on November 18—marked the completion of most of Newport News Shipbuilding's work on the District of Columbia, the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command said on Facebook.

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Phebe Novakovic, chief executive officer of General Dynamics, said in late October that the District of Columbia was "about 60 percent complete," with all the submarine's major modules expected to be ready for assembly and testing at the Groton shipyard.

The estimated delivery of the District of Columbia has been delayed by one year, to fiscal 2028, because of supply chain issues, according to U.S. Naval Institute News. The submarine is expected to deploy for its first nuclear deterrent patrol in fiscal 2030.

The District of Columbia and its sister ships will be the largest submarines ever built by the U.S., measuring 560 feet long with a displacement of nearly 21,000 tons. This class will be equipped with 16 ballistic missile tubes, compared with 20 in the Ohio-class.

According to a Congressional Research Service report in September, the U.S. Navy needs 10 ballistic missile submarines available for operations at any given moment.

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Unlike an Ohio-class submarine, which requires a four-year nuclear refueling and overhaul once in the vessel's lifetime, a Columbia-class submarine features an evolutionary nuclear reactor that eliminates the need for refueling over the vessel's 42-year lifetime, maximizing its deployment time. It only requires an overhaul once in its lifetime, a process that will take approximately two years.

This design means two fewer submarines will be needed to meet the strategic nuclear deterrence requirement, as Columbia-class subs will require a two-year overhaul without a nuclear refueling, the Congressional Research Service report said.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command said: "The future of submarine seapower is taking shape! The bow section of the future District of Columbia (SSBN 826), built by [Huntington Ingalls Industries], has arrived at General Dynamics Electric Boat for final assembly and testing. This marks the completion of the majority of Newport News Shipbuilding division's work on this critical next-generation submarine. With all major modules at Electric Boat, we're one step closer to delivering this vital asset to our Nation's Fleet."

General Dynamics Electric Boat said: "The Columbia class represents an evolution of submarine technology. Ships of the class will have a life-of-ship reactor, eliminating the need for refueling and making each ship more cost-effective to operate while maximizing time of deployment. Superior acoustical performance and state-of-the-art sensors make the Columbia class the quietest, stealthiest and most capable submarines ever built. When fully deployed, the Columbia class will carry 70% of the U.S. nuclear arsenal."

What Happens Next

It is unclear whether the U.S. will accelerate the building and delivery of the Columbia-class submarines to ensure its sea-based nuclear deterrent force stays capable.

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