Columbia-class submarine
The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines in the US Navy will be replaced by a new class of nuclear submarines called the Columbia-class submarine. The first submarine's construction started formally on October 1st, 2020, and it will go into service in 2031. The Navy stated on June 3, 2022, that this first vessel will be known as the USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) in honor of the existing attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN-771). The Navy made no mention of whether the class's name would likewise change.
The Ohio class of UGM-133 Trident II-armed ballistic missile submarines, of which one will be decommissioned each year starting in 2027, will be replaced by the Columbia class. The strategic nuclear force of the United States will no longer have a submerged presence thanks to the Columbia class. The new class was created by Electric Boat with assistance from Newport News Shipbuilding. There will be a total of 12 submarines built, with work on the initial vessel set to start in 2021. Each of the 16 missile tubes on each submarine will be able to launch a single Trident II D5LE missile. The submarines will be 560 feet (170.7 m) long, 43 feet (13.1 m) in diameter, and 1 foot (30 cm) longer than the Ohio-class design.
The SSBN design has some of the following features, however, they are still under development. 42-year anticipated service life (it is planned that each submarine will carry out 124 deterrent patrols during its service life). Unlike the Ohio-class submarines, which need nuclear refueling in the middle of their service lives, this submarine has a life-of-the-ship nuclear fuel core that is enough to power it for the duration of its anticipated service life. The diameter of the missile launch tubes is the same as that of the Ohio class, at 87 inches (2,200 mm), and the length is long enough to hold a D-5 Trident II missile. On submarines of the Ohio class, there are 16 instead of 24 missile launch tubes. The SSBN is planned to have roughly the same submerged displacement as Ohio-class submarines, albeit having fewer launch tubes than those submarines. The U.S. Navy has further emphasized that in order to maintain their survivability throughout the course of their 40-year lifespan, SSBNs must be equipped with the most modern capabilities and stealth due to the special requirements of strategic relevance.
Cost per unit: $4.5 billion
