Program · United States · U.S. Navy
Los Angeles-class Submarine
Nuclear-powered attack submarine class built by Electric Boat and Newport News; includes USS Santa Fe.
Timeline3
- MilestoneConfirmed
Lead 688-class submarine named Los Angeles
The Navy’s ship-naming report, printed p. 14, dates Secretary Chafee’s naming of the first 688-class submarine. The surviving report establishes the naming decision, but does not establish the date of the first public class announcement.
- MilestoneConfirmed
Earliest documented public appearance: lead submarine launch
Earliest supported public appearance found in the sources reviewed for this research; not a claim of the first-ever announcement or original unveiling. Earlier evidence may revise this date. DANFS records the sponsored launch of the named lead submarine. The earlier 1971 naming decision remains separately recorded; the reviewed naming report does not establish when it became public. No builder/location claim is imported from the DANFS entry.
- FieldedConfirmed
Lead boat USS Los Angeles commissioned
Program and variant milestones. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Cost to the Government
| Measure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Program totals · 1 | ||
| Development program totalA separately scoped historical development total has not been verified. | Not established | — |
| Unit costs · 1 | ||
| Acquisition / unitA comparable unit procurement figure has not been verified. | Not established | — |
| Quantities · 2 | ||
| In-service SSNsCRS snapshot. Later retirements and inactive idle periods can change the deployable force. | 20U.S. only | Virginia-class attack submarines and AUKUS, FY2026 budget CRS · figure Start FY2026 |
| Program quantityA separate acquisition quantity has not been verified. | Not established | — |
| Operating costs · 2 | ||
| Average daily O&S / submarineGAO historical daily cost for its delay and idle-time analysis; not a marginal daily savings estimate. | $219,700 / dayConstant calendar-2025 $ | Navy Readiness: GAO-26-109256, Table 1 GAO · 2026 · figure FY2016–2025 analysis |
| Historical annual O&S comparatorVirginia SAR antecedent estimate based on historical Los Angeles data; not a current rate. | $26.41M / yrConstant FY1995 $ | SSN 774 December 2019 SAR, FY2021 budget Department of Defense · figure 2019 SAR comparator |
Program totals · 1
- Development program totalA separately scoped historical development total has not been verified.Source not recordedNot established
Unit costs · 1
- Acquisition / unitA comparable unit procurement figure has not been verified.Source not recordedNot established
Quantities · 2
- In-service SSNsCRS snapshot. Later retirements and inactive idle periods can change the deployable force.Virginia-class attack submarines and AUKUS, FY2026 budget CRS · figure Start FY202620U.S. only
- Program quantityA separate acquisition quantity has not been verified.Source not recordedNot established
Operating costs · 2
- Average daily O&S / submarineGAO historical daily cost for its delay and idle-time analysis; not a marginal daily savings estimate.Navy Readiness: GAO-26-109256, Table 1 GAO · 2026 · figure FY2016–2025 analysis$219,700 / dayConstant calendar-2025 $
- Historical annual O&S comparatorVirginia SAR antecedent estimate based on historical Los Angeles data; not a current rate.SSN 774 December 2019 SAR, FY2021 budget Department of Defense · figure 2019 SAR comparator$26.41M / yrConstant FY1995 $
Earlier observations · 2
Superseded estimates and prices, each in its original scope and dollar basis.
| Measure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average daily O&S / submarineGAO historical daily cost for its delay and idle-time analysis; not a marginal daily savings estimate. | $219,700 / dayConstant calendar-2025 $ | Navy Readiness: GAO-26-109256, Table 1 GAO · 2026 · figure FY2016–2025 analysis |
| Historical annual O&S comparatorVirginia SAR antecedent estimate based on historical Los Angeles data; not a current rate. | $26.41M / yrConstant FY1995 $ | SSN 774 December 2019 SAR, FY2021 budget Department of Defense · figure 2019 SAR comparator |
- Average daily O&S / submarineGAO historical daily cost for its delay and idle-time analysis; not a marginal daily savings estimate.Navy Readiness: GAO-26-109256, Table 1 GAO · 2026 · figure FY2016–2025 analysis$219,700 / dayConstant calendar-2025 $
- Historical annual O&S comparatorVirginia SAR antecedent estimate based on historical Los Angeles data; not a current rate.SSN 774 December 2019 SAR, FY2021 budget Department of Defense · figure 2019 SAR comparator$26.41M / yrConstant FY1995 $
Inventory is not availability
GAO documents boats waiting for maintenance or decommissioning while retaining crews and incurring support costs. A boat in the reported inventory is not necessarily available for operations.
Open research: Separately scoped historical R&D total remains unverified; missing is not zero. A platform-specific contract award with verified date, value and scope remains to be added. Original hull procurement and dollar basis remain to be reconciled from historical budget records. Quantity and cost figures retain their source dates. Historical snapshots are not a census of operational availability on the review date. No international purchase record verified in this profile; this is not proof that no foreign operators exist.
What the government budgets and pays for this program, from budget justification books, appropriations, acquisition reports and contract announcements. Each figure states its dollar basis. What contractors were obligated is under Contracts.