The United States Navy registered new progress in the construction of the future USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), the first of the new Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile (SSBN) submarines, after the bow section was transferred to the General Dynamics Electric Boat facilities in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. This event marked a milestone in the structural integration of the submarine, whose assembly is advancing in parallel at different shipyards as part of the program’s industrial strategy.
According to the information released, weeks ago the bow section—one of the most complex structural pieces due to the integration of navigation systems, sonar, and forward compartments—was transported by barge from Newport News Shipbuilding to the General Dynamics Electric Boat facilities in Connecticut, to be joined with other modules already under production. This stage will allow the continuation of the final assembly of the submarine, considered the main modernization priority for the strategic maritime deterrence fleet of the United States.
This progress adds to the advance reported weeks ago, when General Dynamics Electric Boat stated that construction of the USS District of Columbia had surpassed 60% completion. At that time, the manufacturer highlighted that the production pace had stabilized after overcoming delays linked to the supply of critical components (delivery of the turbines from Northrop Grumman and the bow module from Newport News Shipbuilding) and the availability of specialized labor, factors that had affected the program’s original schedule.
At this point, it is important to mention that the Columbia class was conceived to progressively replace the current Ohio-class submarines, in service since the 1980s and responsible for carrying more than 70% of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. So far available information indicates that each unit will have a displacement of approximately 21,000 tons, a projected service life of more than 40 years, and will be equipped with 16 vertical launch cells for Trident II D5LE ballistic missiles, in addition to new navigation, propulsion, and acoustic-reduction systems.
Currently, in addition to the USS Columbia, construction has also begun on the second in the series, known as Wisconsin (SSBN-827), which is advancing despite delays, in accordance with the Pentagon’s plan that requires delivery of the first unit in 2031 to avoid a gap in the country’s nuclear deterrent capabilities. The delivery dates for the second and third submarines, the USS Groton (SSBN-828), could take place between 2032 and 2034. For its part, the U.S. Navy has reiterated that any delay could impact the future availability of the fleet, which will be reduced to 12 submarines once the transition from the Ohio class is completed.
With the recent transfer of the bow section to Electric Boat, the program enters a key phase of full hull assembly, prior to the installation of main systems and integration tests. Although industrial challenges remain, the Navy and contractors maintain that the USS District of Columbia continues on track to meet the scheduled milestones within what is considered the most critical and sensitive naval construction program of the last 40 years for the United States.
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