Подводные лодки типа Columbia

The upcoming Columbia class are nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines of the United States Navy, designed to replace the Ohio class. Construction of the first vessel began on 1 October 2020, and is scheduled to enter service in 2031.

The Columbia-class submarine is intended to succeed the Ohio-class submarine fleet of ballistic missile submarines, whose remaining vessels are scheduled for retirement at a rate of one per year starting in 2028. The new class will assume responsibility for maintaining the sea-based component of the United States’ strategic nuclear deterrent.

The submarines were designed by General Dynamics Electric Boat with support from Newport News Shipbuilding. The program предусматривает строительство двенадцати лодок, при этом строительство головного корабля началось в 2021 году. Each submarine will feature sixteen missile launch tubes capable of carrying one UGM-133 Trident II D5LE missile per tube. Beginning with the ninth vessel, the upgraded D5LE2 variant is expected to be introduced.

The submarines will measure approximately 170.7 meters in length and 13.1 meters in beam. While matching the length of the Ohio-class boats, the Columbia-class design will have a diameter increased by about one foot (30 centimeters).

To determine the required number of submarines for the U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal, Navy planners evaluated several factors, including the quantity of missiles needed on patrol at any moment, the payload capacity of each submarine, and the probability that a submarine could remain undetected and capable of launching its weapons if necessary. Maintenance schedules and their impact on operational availability were also analyzed.

Studies aimed at reducing program costs examined multiple alternatives, such as modifying the design of the Virginia-class submarine to include ballistic missile tubes, modernizing the existing Ohio-class concept, or creating a completely new replacement design. Ultimately, the Navy concluded that a newly developed platform would provide the most cost-effective solution while still satisfying all technical and operational requirements.

One major advantage of the Columbia-class concept is that, unlike modified Ohio- or Virginia-based alternatives, the submarines will not require mid-life nuclear refueling. Their reactor cores are designed to last for the entire operational lifespan of the vessel.

Research, design, and technology development for the Columbia-class program are projected to cost approximately $4.2 billion in fiscal year 2010 dollars. To reduce expenses, the Navy plans to reuse technologies and components already developed for the Ohio and Virginia classes whenever practical. Construction of the lead submarine, USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), is estimated at roughly $6.2 billion in FY2010 dollars, while the Navy hopes to lower the average price of the remaining eleven boats to about $4.9 billion each. The full lifecycle cost of the program is estimated at around $347 billion, making it one of the most expensive naval procurement efforts in U.S. history.

In April 2014, the Navy finalized a comprehensive 300-page specification document for the program. The report included 159 separate requirements covering weapons systems, escape arrangements, piping networks, hatches, watertight doors, seawater systems, and the submarine’s fixed hull length of 560 feet, selected partly to ensure sufficient internal volume within the pressure hull.

In March 2016, the U.S. Navy selected General Dynamics Electric Boat as the prime contractor and lead design shipyard for the program. Having previously constructed all eighteen Ohio-class submarines, the company will perform the majority of work on all twelve Columbia-class vessels, including final assembly. Huntington Ingalls Industries, through its Newport News Shipbuilding division, will act as the primary subcontractor and is expected to complete roughly 22–23 percent of the overall workshare.

By late 2016, approximately 3,000 Electric Boat employees were involved in the detailed design stage of the project. Procurement of the first submarine was planned for fiscal year 2021, with delivery expected around 2030 and operational service entry targeted for 2031. The entire twelve-boat fleet is projected to be completed by 2042, and the submarines are expected to remain in service until approximately 2085.

On 28 July 2016, the Navy announced that the first submarine in the class would carry the name Columbia in honor of the District of Columbia, the capital of the United States. The designation was officially confirmed on 14 December 2016 by then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, with the lead submarine receiving the full name USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826).

Later, on 28 October 2020, Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced that the second submarine of the class would be named USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827) in honor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.

On 7 June 2021, the U.S. Navy’s budget office reported that the total projected cost of USS District of Columbia had increased to approximately $15.03 billion, including broader program planning expenses. By April 2023, estimated construction costs for the full twelve-submarine program had risen to around $132 billion. Program officials identified supply-chain stability and the retention of a qualified workforce as two of the most significant long-term challenges facing the project.