On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the US Department of the Navy announced that it had signed framework agreements with General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB), part of General Dynamics, and Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding for the construction of five Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and nine Virginia Block VI-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, as well as support for expanding the shipyards’ production capacity. The agreements have a combined cumulative value of 76.6 billion USD.
Virginia Block VI / Image: GDEB
Of the cumulative total, 29.5 billion USD was allocated to the Columbia-class submarines, 42.1 billion USD to the Virginia Block VI-class submarines, and 5 billion USD to shipyard infrastructure.
According to detailed information released by the US Department of Defense, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) awarded contracts to the companies for the construction of the Columbia-class submarines SSBN-828, the future USS Groton, SSBN-829, SSBN-830, SSBN-831, and SSBN-832, as well as the Virginia Block VI-class submarines SSN-814, the future USS Potomac, SSN-815, the future USS Norfolk, SSN-816, the future USS Brooklyn, SSN-817, SSN-818, SSN-819, SSN-820, SSN-821, and SSN-822. The contracts also cover a tenth set of materials required for their construction and investments aimed at improving shipyard productivity.
Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut (30%); Newport News, Virginia (22%); Quonset Point, Rhode Island (18%); Sunnyvale, California (5%); Sykesville, Maryland (1%); Goose Creek, South Carolina (1%); Chesapeake, Virginia (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); Tucson, Arizona (1%); and other locations accounting for less than 1% each (20%). The work is expected to be completed by July 2038.
The initial funding comes from the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act budget. It includes 6,441,442,332 USD in US Navy shipbuilding and conversion funds for fiscal year 2026 (54%); 3,744,758,492 USD in previously appropriated fiscal year 2025 funds (32%); 1,266,948,874 USD in fiscal year 2025 maritime industrial base funding (11%); 253,954,000 USD from the fiscal year 2026 National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund (2%); and 171,096,970 USD in fiscal year 2024 shipbuilding and conversion funds (1%).
Columbia
The Ohio Replacement Submarine program, previously known as the SSBN-X Future Follow-on Submarine program, calls for the construction of 12 Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
The previous contract under the program, valued at 15,383,494,792 USD, was awarded to GDEB on March 18 this year.
Construction of the first submarine, the future USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), began with the first steel cut on May 23, 2019, while formal construction started on October 1, 2020. The keel was laid on June 4, 2022. HII delivered the submarine’s stern section to GDEB on January 10, 2024, followed by the bow section on November 21, 2025. Current plans call for delivery in 2029 and entry into service in 2031, although officials have indicated that the schedule may slip because of problems affecting subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman’s turbine deliveries.
Steel was cut for the second submarine, the future USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827), on November 5, 2020, while its keel was laid at Electric Boat’s Quonset Point facility on August 27, 2025. The aforementioned USS Groton (SSBN-828) will be the third submarine ordered. The new-generation vessels will gradually replace the 14 Ohio-class submarines.
The program’s total cost, including design, research and development, and construction of all submarines, is currently estimated at approximately 130–132 billion USD.
The Columbia class is expected to remain one of the three key elements of the US nuclear triad until approximately 2085, carrying around 70% of the country’s nuclear warheads. The submarines will be 170.7 m long and 13.1 m wide, with a standard displacement of 18,400 tonnes and a submerged displacement of 21,144 tonnes. They will therefore be the largest submarines ever built in the United States.
Each submarine will be powered by a single nuclear reactor and operated by a crew of 155 officers and enlisted personnel. They will be equipped with an enlarged Large Aperture Bow sonar derived from the Virginia-class design. Each vessel will carry 16 upgraded UGM-133A Trident II D5LE ballistic missiles, sometimes referred to as Trident III, before being rearmed with a next-generation missile after 2042. For self-defense, they will carry Lockheed Martin Mark 48 Mod 7 CBASS (Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System) heavyweight torpedoes.
USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) / Image: GDEB
Virginia Block VI
The latest Virginia Block VI nuclear-powered attack submarines will join the Virginia Block I boats already in service, comprising four submarines; Virginia Block II, with six; Virginia Block III, with eight; Virginia Block IV, with six in service, three launched, and one under construction; and Virginia Block V, with five under construction, four ordered, and two planned.
Previous contracts awarded to GDEB for the construction of the latest Virginia Block VI submarines were concluded on June 26, 2025, with a value of 1,065,310,000 USD; October 8, 2024, valued at 878,000,000 USD; August 5, 2024, valued at 1,316,877,000 USD; July 25, 2024, valued at 181,000,000 USD; February 23, 2024, valued at 150,984,000 USD; and October 13, 2023, valued at 216,510,000 USD. This means that GDEB has so far received contracts worth a total of 3,808,681,000 USD.
The construction of the first three Virginia Block VI submarines was announced on January 13, 2025, by then-US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. These were the aforementioned future USS Potomac (SSN-814), USS Norfolk (SSN-815), and USS Brooklyn (SSN-816).
It is also worth noting that on April 2, 2025, GDEB awarded BAE Systems Inc. a 70 million USD contract to supply Virginia Payload Module (VPM) launchers for these submarines, adapted to launch, among other weapons, the new Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles.
Subsequently, on May 16, 2025, the US Department of Defense’s Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime awarded framework agreements with a combined maximum value of 5 billion USD to six contractors to support the weapon systems of Virginia-class submarines.
A total of 42 submarines have so far been ordered or planned, compared with the original requirement for at least 30, as replacements for the 688 Los Angeles and 688i Improved Los Angeles classes. Of the 62 Los Angeles-class submarines built, 36 have already been decommissioned, four more have been placed in reserve, two have been converted into stationary training platforms, and 19 remain in active service. Australia is also expected to acquire three Virginia-class submarines as an interim capability under the AUKUS program.
$29.5B.
Five Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.
Uncontested deterrence. pic.twitter.com/FdjVsk2B8G
— Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao (@SECNAV) July 29, 2026