The company General Dynamics Electric Boat reported that the construction of the first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine of the new Columbia class, the USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), for the United States Navy, has reached 60% completion. According to the company, the coming year will be decisive for the program, as by the end of this year the main modules of the vessel are expected to be ready for assembly and structural testing, marking one of the project’s most important milestones.
The Columbia-class submarines represent one of the most ambitious and innovative programs of the United States Navy, aimed at strengthening strategic nuclear deterrence capabilities through the incorporation of new technologies and the gradual replacement of the current Ohio-class submarines, in service since the 1980s. However, the program has not been without difficulties: delays in the delivery of key components by suppliers have slowed the construction pace of these nearly 21,000-ton displacement units.
The latest update occurred in April 2025 during a presentation before the U.S. Congress. In it, the U.S. Navy reported construction delays of between 12 and 18 months compared to the original schedule. This has also affected subsequent units: the USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827) and the USS Groton (SSBN-828), which are still expected to have delivery dates close to those initially planned, between 2032 and 2034.
In particular, company sources have mentioned that the delays were mainly due to the delivery of the turbines from Northrop Grumman and the bow module from Newport News Shipbuilding (partner in the Columbia program), which hindered the sequential assembly of the submarine. Nonetheless, as of now, and with this issue largely normalized, General Dynamics executive Danny Deep indicated that improvements have been observed in the supply chain, although there are still areas to improve. It should also be noted that among these advances, one of the most significant was the progress achieved in the construction of the nuclear reactors intended for both the Columbia-class and Virginia-class attack submarines, ensuring a critical step in the continuity of the program.
Another significant development is that construction of the second submarine is already underway. The news was revealed in the last days of August of the current year, during the keel-laying ceremony held at General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) facilities — a key event that marked the official start of the new unit.
It is worth recalling that construction of the first Columbia-class submarine, under General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB), began in 2022, giving physical form to a design that had been in development since 2007. The U.S. Navy plans to incorporate a total of 12 units of this type, each capable of carrying up to 16 Trident D5 ballistic missiles. Notably, the new class will provide the U.S. Navy with the largest submarines ever built for the service, with a length of 560 feet.
Finally, the latest reports indicate that once delivered, the Columbia-class submarine USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) is expected to carry out its first patrol in 2030, replacing the Ohio-class submarine USS Henry Jackson (SSBN-730) when it is retired from the fleet.
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