Issued by Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., the contract modifies a previously awarded agreement and reflects the long-term scope of the program. Work will be conducted across multiple U.S. locations, including Groton, Connecticut, Newport News, Virginia, and Sunnyvale, California, with completion expected by June 2035.
The contract includes funding from several sources, including $3.07 billion from fiscal 2026 national sea-based deterrence funds, as well as allocations from research, development, test, and evaluation accounts. A portion of the funding, totaling $3.14 billion, is set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Columbia-class program is a central component of the Navy’s effort to sustain a continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent. It is intended to replace the Ohio-class submarines, which have formed the backbone of the United States’ sea-based nuclear forces since the 1980s.
Designed to be the largest and most complex submarines ever procured by the Navy, the Columbia-class represents the first new class of U.S. ballistic missile submarines developed since the 1990s. The vessels are built to operate undetected while carrying nuclear-armed missiles, providing a survivable second-strike capability within the nuclear triad.
The contract modification also supports supplier development efforts aimed at strengthening the submarine industrial base. This includes enabling parallel production of both Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines to meet future demand.
General Dynamics Electric Boat serves as the lead yard for the program, responsible for design authority and coordination across the industrial network. The program is being executed in collaboration with Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding, which contributes to construction and integration of key components.
