COLUMBIA Class Submarine

The COLUMBIA Class Submarine program is a significant initiative under the Navy's Fleet Ballistic Missile Ships category. It focuses on designing, constructing, and delivering a new class of submarines to replace the retiring OHIO Class Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs). These submarines are tasked with maintaining strategic deterrence by being ready to deter nuclear attacks on the United States and its allies. If deterrence fails, they must be capable of launching missiles against predetermined or adaptively planned targets. The program emphasizes the ability of these submarines to perform extended strategic deterrent patrols without external assistance or replenishment.

The objectives include achieving a high level of design maturity and ensuring timely construction and delivery. This involves detailed design work for components such as the Common Missile Compartment, Strategic Weapons System, Propulsion Plant, and other ship parts. The program has reached significant design maturity, crucial for meeting aggressive construction timelines. Efforts are underway to reduce construction spans through advanced procurement authorities, strategic outsourcing, industrial base expansion, workforce development, continuous production of materials, and incorporating lessons learned from previous builds.

To support these goals, substantial investments are made in supplier development and shipyard infrastructure to address capacity and manpower constraints. This involves strategic outsourcing to qualified suppliers and enhancing shipyard facilities to meet increased production demands. Workforce development initiatives are also a focus to address labor challenges in the submarine industrial base. Additionally, technology opportunities such as additive manufacturing and non-destructive testing improvements are being explored to enhance production capabilities.

The program incorporates economic order quantity procurements and continuous production strategies for critical components like missile tubes and shipyard-manufactured items. These strategies aim to reduce schedule risks, improve manufacturing efficiencies, maintain critical production skills, and achieve cost savings through high-volume procurements. The structure ensures that the U.S. Navy maintains its strategic deterrence capabilities while transitioning from the OHIO Class SSBNs to the new COLUMBIA Class submarines.