A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress found that several technologies for the Columbia-class submarine program need more development and testing to prevent cost and schedule delays that could delay deployment of the lead submarine beyond a 2031 deadline.
Twelve Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) are planned to replace the existing 14 Ohio-class vessels that provide the sea leg in the U.S. nuclear weapons triad. The Ohio-class submarines are scheduled to begin retiring in 2027 and the first Columbia-class unit must start patrols in 2031 to avert a gap in nuclear weapons capabilities.
The Columbia-class program is expected to cost up to $267 billion over its life-cycle, which includes $128 billion to research, develop, and purchase the units.
Last month, Rear Adm. Michael Jabaley, Program Executive Officer for Submarines, said that after the Columbia program reached Milestone B in late 2016, the office was able to reduce the cost per submarine by $80 million to $7.1 billion (Defense Daily, Nov. 8).
Despite the importance and time pressures, the GAO found that additional development and testing is needed to demonstrate the maturity of technologies critical to performance while the program moves into the design phase. This includes the integrated power system (IPS), nuclear reactor, common missile compartment and propulsor/coordinated stern, and stern area system (SAS)
The GAO said the Navy made progress in some areas, like prototyping efforts for the missile compartment and nuclear reactor, but that all of the named systems still need further development to mature them to the point at which GAO’s technology readiness guide considers a technology mature, which is Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7.
TRL 7 is when a system prototype is near or at the planned operational system demonstrated in an operational environment.
Separately, General Dynamics Electric Boat awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division a contract worth upwards of $468 million to start work on integrating product and process development for the Columbia-class submarines. GD Electric Boat is the lead shipyard and contractor while HII serves as a subcontractor. This is part of the Navy’s $5 billion contract in September to complete the detailed design of the vessel.
