The Navy’s top acquisition official, James Geurts, told reporters last week if there is a continuing resolution (CR) before the next budget is finalized, the service would need an anomaly to keep the Columbia ballistic missile submarine program on schedule.
It has become a near-certainty that Congress will need at least one stopgap measure to keep the federal government operating past the beginning of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1. The House passed its 2021 defense budget in July, but the Senate has yet to release appropriations bills for any federal agencies.
Minus an anomaly, a continuing resolution would freeze federal spending at prior-year levels until a budget for the remainder of fiscal 2021 is in place.
Geurts also said from a COVID-19 perspective if there are any pandemic impacts to the industrial base during Columbia construction in which resources must be reduced, “we would prioritize the resources available on Columbia and work to mitigate any shortage on other programs.”
Final assembly work involving construction in tight spaces is several years down the road, according to Geurts, assistant Navy secretary for research, development, and acquisition.
The Navy plans to produce 12 Columbia boats, with deployments to begin in the 2030s. The first submarine is expected to cost roughly $14 billion, and the second $9 billion. The total manufacturing expense is projected at about $110 billion.
