Vessel · Undersea
Columbia-class submarine
Ballistic missile submarine class intended to replace the Ohio class. The 2025 GAO acquisition assessment covers 12 procurement submarines, not completed deliveries.
- Milestones0
- Operators—
- Components—
- Programs1
- Capabilities1
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Navy / Naval Sea Systems Command · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Navy) · U.S. Navy concept rendering of the Columbia class; not a photograph of a completed submarine.
Ballistic missile submarine class intended to replace the Ohio class. The 2025 GAO acquisition assessment covers 12 procurement submarines, not completed deliveries.
Timeline
No milestones recorded for Columbia-class submarine yet. The timeline fills in as unveilings, tests, contracts and deliveries are sourced.
Programs & Awards1 programs
Programs1
- SSBN 826 Columbia Class Ballistic Missile SubmarineUnited States
Cost to the Government
Ships · General Dynamics Electric Boat / HII
Columbia-class submarine
The lead submarine carries much of the class's design and engineering cost; follow-on hulls must be compared separately.
SSBN-826 procurement estimate
$16.121B
FY2026 budget · Then-year budget USD
Includes $6.9463B for plans and $9.175B in other procurement. SSBN-827: $10.6885B; SSBN-828: $10.5437B. Excludes separately procured weapons.
CRS ↗Delivered boats in source snapshot
0
2025-12-04 · U.S. only
Lead ship remains under construction in CRS report. Dated status, not a live fleet feed.
CRS ↗Program R&D estimate
$13.938B
2023-12-31 · Then-year USD
SAR total acquisition $139.7168B includes procurement $125.3202B and military construction $458.4M. Do not combine with constant-dollar GAO totals.
CRS ↗Operations & sustainment
Lifetime / annual O&S
Not verified
No verified comparable operating total in this review. Ships have not yet entered service in the cited snapshot.
Cost over time · 3 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 budget | Class procurement estimate 12-boat program. | $109.8B | Then-year USD | CRS ↗ |
| FY2025 budget | Class procurement estimate CRS reports 15.2% nominal growth; FY2026 did not update the class total. | $126.4B | Then-year USD | CRS ↗ |
| 2024-08 | Program R&D estimate GAO basis, distinct from the December 2023 SAR in then-year dollars. | $16.651B | Constant FY2025 USD | CRS ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2020-11-05 · Exercised contract option
U.S. Navy → General Dynamics Electric Boat
$9.474B · 2 units in scope
N00024-17-C-2117 modification covers construction, testing, design and engineering for SSBN 826 and 827, including advance work for the second hull. $565,122,558 obligated at award; planned completion April 2030. Contract value is not the total procurement cost of both submarines.
Department of Defense ↗
Connected missiles & systems
Missile and submarine
Trident II D5 / D5 Life Extension →D5/D5LE submarine compatibility; missile, submarine and warhead spending are separate.
U.S. Navy ↗
International buyers
No international purchase documented in this review.
Coverage & open research
- UK Common Missile Compartment cooperation is not a purchase of Columbia submarines.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.