Vessel · Undersea
Virginia-class submarine
Nuclear-powered attack submarine designed for undersea warfare and land attack.
- Milestones0
- Operators—
- Components—
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Patrick Evans · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Navy) · Full-frame resize and WebP re-encoding from the DVIDS-hosted government photo; no crop.
Timeline
No milestones recorded for Virginia-class submarine yet. The timeline fills in as unveilings, tests, contracts and deliveries are sourced.
Cost to the Government
Ships · General Dynamics Electric Boat / HII
Virginia-class submarine
Nuclear attack submarines; block, payload-module configuration, and production rate materially affect procurement cost.
Procurement / submarine, approximately
$5B
FY2026 budget · Then-year USD
CRS estimate at a two-boat annual procurement rate; not a quote for every earlier block.
CRS ↗In-service SSNs
26
Start FY2026 · U.S. only
Dated CRS force structure snapshot; inventory does not mean available for deployment.
CRS ↗SAR program quantity
48
2019-12 · U.S. only
U.S. program scope in this historical SAR; later procurement expands the class.
Department of Defense ↗Development program total
$9.058B
2019-12 · Then-year USD
December 2019 SAR current estimate for its 48-boat program scope.
Department of Defense ↗Cost & funding breakdown
Block I procurement
4
Historical procurement blocks; CRS FY2026 · U.S. only
FY1998–FY2002 block buy.
CRS ↗Block II procurement
6
Historical procurement blocks; CRS FY2026 · U.S. only
One FY2003 boat contracted separately plus five FY2004–FY2008 multiyear boats.
CRS ↗Block III procurement
8
Historical procurement blocks; CRS FY2026 · U.S. only
FY2009–FY2013 multiyear acquisition.
CRS ↗Block IV procurement
10
Historical procurement blocks; CRS FY2026 · U.S. only
FY2014–FY2018 multiyear acquisition.
CRS ↗Original Block V procurement group
10
Historical procurement blocks; CRS FY2026 · U.S. only
FY2019–FY2023 group; later additions and future blocks are not included.
CRS ↗VPM boats in original nine-boat Block V award
8
2019-12-02 · U.S. only
One base-award boat lacks VPM; tenth-boat option also includes VPM.
NAVSEA ↗Original nine-boat Block V contract
$22.2B
2019-12-02 · Then-year USD
Mixed VPM configuration, fixed-price incentive fee multiyear scope; not all government procurement cost.
NAVSEA ↗Fleet growth versus purchase count
The program quantity in the historical SAR counts planned procurement. The in-service snapshot counts boats already in the fleet. These figures should never be added together.
Payload modules and block costs
The original nine-boat Block V award includes eight boats with a Virginia Payload Module and one without. A later option adds another VPM boat. A single class average would conceal that configuration mix; no unsupported per-VPM price is inferred from the combined award.
Operations & sustainment
Average daily O&S / submarine
$237,080 / day
FY2016–2025 analysis · Constant calendar-2025 USD
GAO’s historical daily cost used to value idle time and maintenance delays. It is not an incremental cash saving if an idle day is avoided.
GAO ↗Annual O&S / submarine estimate
$36.555M / yr
2019-12 · Constant FY1995 USD
Historical SAR life-cycle estimate; a different scope and dollar year from GAO daily cost.
Department of Defense ↗Cost over time · 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-12 | Average procurement / submarine Derived: $156.2974B procurement divided by 48 boats; earlier blocks and support included. | $3.256B | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| FY2026 budget | Procurement / submarine, approximately CRS estimate at a two-boat annual procurement rate; not a quote for every earlier block. | $5B | Then-year USD | CRS ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2019-12-02 · Block V fixed-price-incentive award
U.S. Navy → General Dynamics Electric Boat
$22.2B · 9 units in scope
Nine boats, eight with payload modules, plus an option for a tenth; excludes treating the option as already exercised.
NAVSEA ↗
Connected missiles & systems
Planned Navy integration
Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS)
Development and integration plans; not evidence of operational missile fielding on the class.
Congressional Research Service ↗Lockheed Martin ↗Submarine weapon
Mk 48 Heavyweight Torpedo →Heavyweight torpedo procurement is distinct from submarine acquisition and sustainment.
U.S. Navy · government budget document mirror ↗CRS ↗
International buyers
Australia · 3 · Planned AUKUS transfers · CRS FY2026 review
Plan for three boats, potentially up to five; subject to approvals and conditions, not a record of deliveries.
CRS ↗
Coverage & open research
- Quantity and cost figures retain their source dates. Historical snapshots are not a census of operational availability on the review date.
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.