New Nuclear Armed Columbia-Class Submarines Will Fire Stealthy Mk 48 Torpedoes

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By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

Quietly and secretly patrolling strategically vital areas of the undersea, nuclear armed submarines make up as much as 70 percent of the US nuclear arsenal, as they ensure complete annihilation of any nation or actor willing to attack the US with nuclear weapons.

The ability to ensure a catastrophic, crippling retaliatory nuclear strike in the event of nuclear attack is intended to generate what could be called a paradoxical mission scope, as they are tasked with maintaining an ability to guarantee complete destruction, for the purpose of keeping the peace.

Columbia-Class Submarines

This concept of strategic deterrence is the reason why the Pentagon explains its now emerging Columbia-class submarines are the number 1 acquisition priority across the DoD. Given this, it is no surprise that a keel laying ceremony for the first Columbia-class submarine, to be called the USS District of Columbia, was heavily attended and celebrated by all ranks within the Navy and broader collection of military services.

As a replacement for the aging Ohio-class submarines, the new Columbia-class boats are slated to serve well into the 2080s and beyond, a Naval Sea Systems Command report on the Keel laying ceremony stated.

At a length of 560 feet and displacing 20,810 tons, the Columbia will be the largest submarine ever built by the U.S. Its reactor will not require refueling during the lifetime of planned service making the ship more cost-effective to operate and maximizing its time in deployment, the Navy report said.