U.S. Navy Prioritizes New Ballistic Missile Columbia-Class Submarine
Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) class ballistic missile submarine program is specifically designed to build 12 new Columbia-class submarines equipped with ballistic missiles (SSBNs) to replace the existing 14 Ohio-class SSBNs.
U.S. Navy’s research and development on this program has been underway for several years and advance procurement (AP) funding for the first boat began in FY2017.
The U.S. Navy has identified Columbia-class programs as the Navy’s top priority program. Navy presented $2,891.5 million Fiscal Year (FY2021) budget in procurement funding, $1,123.2 million in advance procurement (AP) funding, and $397.3million in research and development funding for the program. With this budget, the remaining $5,274.2 million in procurement funding needed to complete the boat’s total procurement cost of $14,393.4 million, is to be requested in FY2022 and FY2023.
The Mission of Newest U.S. Submarine
United States Navy considers SSBNs due to strategic nuclear deterrence. SSBNs are equipped with submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), which are large and have a long-range, with multiple nuclear warheads.
SSBNs specialization is to remain hidden at sea level with SLBMs. This program enhances the power of the United States, which added the second-strike capability in the Navy, meaning a survivable system for carrying out a retaliatory nuclear attack.
Planned Procurement Quantity
Navy plans to make 12 Columbia-class submarine boats to replace the current force of 14 Ohio-class SSBNs.
Navy stated the requirements of 12 boats:
- Ten operational USS Columbia (SSBN-826), meaning boats not encumbered by lengthy maintenance procedures, they just need to meet strategic nuclear deterrence requirements for having a certain number of SSBNs at sea at any given moment.
- Twelve (rather than 14) Columbia-class submarine boats are going to be required to fulfill the need for 10 operational boats as a result of the midlife overhauls of Columbia-class boats. It is able to not embrace a nuclear fueling, require less time (about 2 years) than the midlife fueling overhauls of Ohio-class boats (which require regarding four years from contract award to delivery). The result being that solely 2 Columbia-class submarine boats (rather than three or typically four), will be within the inside of midlife overhauls or alternative extended maintenance action at any given moment during the mid-years of the Columbia-class life cycle.
According to Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), released in February 2018, Trump Administration stated the following; “The COLUMBIA-class program will deliver a minimum of 12 SSBNs to replace the current OHIO fleet and is designed to provide required capabilities for decades.”
Planned Procurement Schedule
Navy wants to obtain the first Columbia-class boat in FY2021, the second in FY2024, and the remaining 10, at a rate of one per year from FY2026 through FY2035.
Under this schedule, the U.S. Navy projects that the first USS Columbia (SSBN-826) would be delivered in FY2028, the second in FY2031, and the remaining 10 at a rate of one per year from FY2033 through FY2042. After being delivered in FY2028, the lead boat would undergo substantial testing, with the aim of having it ready for its first deterrent patrol by 2031.
Issues for Congress
Risk of Schedule Delay in Production of Lead Boat Due to COVID-19
The potential impact of the COVID-19 could affect operations at the submarine shipyards and supplier firms. The risk to the Columbia-class program is notable due to the program’s high priority demand, its tight schedule for production of the lead boat, and the potential consequences for the nation’s strategic nuclear deterrent position, if the lead boat is not ready to carry out its first scheduled deterrent patrol by 2031. Potential oversight questions for Congress include the following:
- How might the coronavirus situation affect operations at the two submarine shipyards and associated supplier firms? What impact might this have on the lead boat’s design and construction schedule?
- What is the U.S. Navy doing to anticipate, monitor, and mitigate the potential risk to the lead submarine’s design and construction schedule resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic? What role, if any, could the Defense Production Act (DPA) or other federal authorities play in responding to the schedule risk posed by the COVID-19 situation?
Risk Due to Technical Challenges
If we overcome coronavirus, there are two technical challenges that have already been reported in the Columbia-class submarine program.
- First one was reported in 2017, involving an electric motor.
- The second one was reported in 2018, involving faulty welds in the first missile tube sections being built for the lead boat.
Technical challenges could arise in various parts of the ship. One area that may bear close watching is the ship’s electric-drive propulsion system, which is quite different than that of the mechanically-driven system, used in other Navy nuclear-powered submarines.
Until that time, the U.S. Navy has been working to generate additional margin inside the schedule for designing and building the lead boat, so as to provide more ability for absorbing delays and thereby, making the schedule less brittle and more resilient.
