With the keel-laying ceremony, construction officially began on the future nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827) for the U.S. Navy. The event took place on August 27 at the facilities of the manufacturer General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) in Quonset Point, Kingstown, Rhode Island, marking a new step in the development of Washington’s undersea naval capabilities.
The USS Wisconsin will be the second unit of the new Columbia class, conceived to replace the long-serving Ohio-class submarines, true pillars of U.S. strategic deterrence since the Cold War. With this transition, the U.S. Navy seeks to ensure the continuity of its nuclear triad and to maintain a fleet capable of operating silently, lethally, and fully effectively well into the 21st century.
In this regard, the Columbia program, considered Washington’s highest naval shipbuilding priority, calls for the construction of 12 units that will form the core of the strategic submarine force. With advanced stealth technologies, modernized command systems, and long-life reactors, the new class is set to become the backbone of America’s seaborne nuclear deterrence, ensuring a credible and reliable capability in the face of the challenges of an increasingly competitive security environment.
Nevertheless, the development of this class has not been without challenges. In April 2025, the program reported experiencing significant delays in the construction of the first submarine of the series, the USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), which raised concerns in the Pentagon about fleet delivery timelines. Even so, a month later, progress was confirmed in the construction of the nuclear reactors intended both for the Columbia class and the Virginia class, ensuring a critical step in the continuity of the program, which stipulates that the lead submarine of the class could be delivered in 2029, while the future USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827) and USS Groton (SSBN-828) are scheduled for delivery to the service in 2032 and 2034.
It should be recalled at this point that construction of the first Columbia-class submarine began in 2022, giving physical form to a design that had been under development since 2007. It must also be considered that the projected dimensions make the submarine the largest ever built for the service, with a length of 560 feet and a displacement of 20,810 tons.
Finally, in greater detail, it is important to mention that Columbia-class submarines will be equipped with turbo-electric propulsion, which significantly reduces the acoustic signature and increases stealth, in addition to incorporating an innovative “X” arrangement in the stern planes and a state-of-the-art wide-aperture sonar. Each unit will have 16 vertical launch tubes, armed with Trident II D5LE missiles, and its reactor is expected not to require refueling during its entire estimated 42-year service life.
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