The Navy’s Columbia-Class Nuclear Submarine Simply Summed Up in 4 Words

The US Navy wants a dozen new Columbia SSBN guided missile submarines, probably more. And they need those. That is a given; the question of need is definitely there. 

But the current state of US shipyards is far from satisfactory. The Navy already finds its budgets stretched too far, and the country’s deficit is reaching the breaking point. With a new attack submarine already on the horizon, how can the US Navy manage to build more? Is it even feasible? 

Columbia-Class 4 Words: Late and Way Overbudget 

The big missile boats, the SSBNs (Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear), are an enormous part of our nuclear triad. We currently have the Ohio class of nuclear boomers, the best in the world when they first launched. They still are the best. However, the Navy is expanding its lifespan to more than double its initial forecast when it entered the fleet. 

When the Columbia-class boats come online, the Ohio-class boats will be 42 years old, possibly older. To maintain the country’s nuclear deterrence, the Navy must keep at least 10 missile boats on patrol at all times. The Ohio-class will begin to be retired in 2027. To support the deterrent threat, the first Columbia SSBN, “The District of Columbia,” must be added to the fleet by 2030. 

The remaining 11 Columbia-class boats are scheduled to be delivered on an annual basis until the fleet is complete in the early 2040s.  The planned number of 12 Columbia-class submarines has been in place for quite some time and has not changed significantly. However, US Strategic Command Commander Gen. Anthony Cotton suggested that the service should extend its fleet beyond 12. 

The Ohio-class boomers must be closely monitored for hull weakening and metal fatigue. The radioactive fuel that runs the reactors must be replaced, and the reactors themselves must eventually be refurbished or replaced at considerable cost.

The Nuclear Weapons Challenge

Identifying the nuclear threat as “significantly greater” than it was in an earlier era, Cotton said, “the Navy’s new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine also likely needs to be built in greater numbers.” The US is facing significant threats from China, Russia, and North Korea, and as a result, it must modernize. 

Russia is expanding its nuclear arsenal and number of dual-use, nuclear-capable missiles, but China plans to double the number of its nuclear warheads in just the next five years. Also, in recent years, China has been building land-launched ICBM silos across its mainland, something which greatly multiplies the nuclear threat posed by the PRC. And if Iran becomes a nuclear power, the issues will increase even more.

The Columbia-class Missile Boats: Not A Quick Build 

Each boomer will be 560 feet long and displace 20,810 tons, making them the largest submarines to come out of a US shipyard. Their nuclear reactors will not require refueling during their entire planned service life. The new boats will represent roughly 70 percent of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.

Each new Columbia-class submarine will have 16 missile tubes for deploying 16 Trident II D5 nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. Each Trident D5 missile will carry eight Thermonuclear Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) but could hold up to twelve MIRV Warheads. The Columbia-class boats will also deliver Mk 48 heavyweight torpedoes.

From the ninth boat onward, the Navy will install Trident D5LE2 missiles.

The D5LE2 “won’t look like the D5 that we’ve got today, it won’t be completely new, it will be somewhere in the middle,” said Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe, director of Strategic Systems Programs (SSP).

The three-stage missile is promoted as the most advanced ballistic missile in the world. The D5LE2 can carry multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles and features a celestial-aided inertial navigation system.

The SSBN’s strategic weapon is the Trident II D5 missile, which offers increased range and accuracy compared to the now-out-of-service Trident I C4 missile. SSBNs are part of the US nuclear triad, with land-based silos and aircraft.

Shipyards Problems 

The US shipyards have fallen into a sorry condition. It was very poor planning to allow the loss of so many talented shipyard workers, but there isn’t time to point fingers. It has to be fixed. 

Can the US build Columbia missile boats according to the required schedule? It is a complex question, as the submarine industrial base has already been asked to massively expand its capacity to build Virginia-class submarines on a much faster timeline. 

In recent years, the Navy has consistently analyzed and studied its industrial base capacity to assess its ability to accommodate a more ambitious production schedule. 

As part of this process, the Navy has been working with congressional lawmakers to increase funding for submarine production of Virginia-class boats by at least one additional submarine per year. Adding Columbia-class boats to the equation would likely further stress it.

And of course, as we have documented before, the Columbia-Class program is very much behind and very much over budget. 

Electric Boat Builder Feels It Can Get It Done 

Eric Snider, vice president of the Columbia-class program at General Dynamics Electric Boat, expressed confidence in the process, even as construction of the new missile boat is taking place at the same time and the same shipyard where the company is building the next Virginia-class fast-attack submarines.

“Columbia is two and a half times the size of a Virginia,” Snider said to National Defense. “We’re not completely crazy. We’ve learned a lot about the modular-construction business. We’ve gotten off to a good start, tracking actually ahead of where the Virginia was in her build-out as a lead ship.”

Ohio-Class SSGN Submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The bean counters are watching, and so is the US Congress. Construction is currently 16 months behind schedule and millions or even hundreds of millions over budget. 

This is a project whose importance can’t be overstated. Our enemies are building for a nuclear war; they believe they can “win.” If the US loses its deterrence, it will only serve to embolden them further. 

The future of our Navy runs under the sea. While our aircraft carriers project airpower anywhere in the world, the future of controlling the oceans so the carriers can project power is in the hands of submarines.

About the Author: 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications