Originally expected to enter production in 2031, the timeline was first pushed back to 2035 and is now set for 2040, due to increasing costs and financial pressures.
The U.S. Navy’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2026 includes $623 million to support the ongoing development of the programme.
The SSN(X) submarines are planned to feature enhanced stealth, improved intelligence capabilities, greater torpedo capacity, and better integration with unmanned underwater systems.
Each submarine is expected to weigh around 10,000 tons and cost between $6.7 billion and $8 billion, making it considerably more expensive than the current Virginia-class submarines, which cost about $4 billion each.
The report highlights production challenges, as only two shipyards—Electric Boat and Newport News—are capable of building nuclear-powered submarines. Current Virginia-class output is behind schedule, averaging just over one submarine per year.
Concerns have been raised that the delay could weaken the U.S. Navy’s advantage undersea and hinder its operational readiness.
At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Brett A. Seidle, acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, stated: “Costs are rising faster than inflation, and schedules on multiple programmes are delayed one to three years.” He added that the Navy faces difficulties delivering ships “on time and on budget.”
The article also notes that lawmakers are being urged to consider the potential impact of the delay on the shipbuilding industry and to assess whether alternative technologies—such as low-enriched uranium reactors—might offer advantages in cost or safety.
Despite these challenges, the U.S. Navy is still aiming to expand its fleet from 296 to 381 ships in the coming decades, a goal that would require significant growth in shipbuilding capacity.
Source: Fox News.
