Navy, Congress & Industry Discuss Acceleration of First Columbia-Class Sub

By Kris Osborn – Managing Editor – Warrior Maven

The Navy, industry and Congress are discussing plans to speed up full production plans for its first Columbia-Class nuclear armed ballistic missile submarine as part of a broader move to increase the size of the service’s submarine fleet more quickly.

According to Navy statements, the first Columbia-Class submarine has been scheduled for procurement in 2021 as a first step toward achieving operational status by the early 2030s.

Senior service leaders have talked with Congress about increasing the pace of delivery for the entire submarine fleet. In hearings this year, the Navy and Congress pointed to ongoing discussions to potentially accelerate production.

At the same time, the Navy’s current formal position is that which is outlined in the service’s 30-year shipbuilding plan released earlier this year.

“Depending upon available resources, the Navy plan is aligned with the current 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan,” William Couch, Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman,told Warrior Maven.

The Navy’s Shipbuilding plan, released earlier this year, does cite acceleration as a priority as the service strives for an expanded 355-ship fleet.

“Navy continues to aggressively pursue acquisition strategies to build ships more quickly and more affordably,” the plan says.