TheTechno Optimist.

Columbia and Virginia submarine productionGeneral Dynamics Electric Boat—Navy awards $76.6B for nine Virginia-class and five Columbia-class submarinesColumbia and Virginia submarine productionGeneral Dynamics Electric Boat—Navy adds $2.3B to Electric Boat's Columbia contract as the lead boat slips to 2029Columbia and Virginia submarine productionGeneral Dynamics Electric Boat—Electric Boat reports 13% more submarine tonnage as supply chain stays the gating itemColumbia and Virginia submarine productionGeneral Dynamics Electric Boat—Pentagon's submarine chief says delivering the first Columbia in 2028 will be a heavy lift

General Dynamics Electric Boat

Nuclear submarines, Columbia and Virginia class

USGeneral Dynamics-owned~27,000 staffest. 1899gdeb.com (opens gdeb.com)Checked 11 Oct

The brief

Analyst view
  • July 2026: $76.6B Navy award for nine Virginia and five Columbia submarines plus $5B of yard upgrades.
  • Virginia boats deliver about 1.3 a year (May 2026) against a goal of two a year.
  • Lead Columbia boat ~65% complete in Feb 2026; delivery targeted for 2028, from 2027 originally.

Technical approach

As reported
Modules

Build in pieces, join in Groton

Hull sections are fabricated and outfitted at Quonset Point and partner yards, then joined and finished in Groton.

Shared work

Two yards, one boat

Newport News does about 22–23% of Columbia work; Electric Boat leads design and does final assembly.

Printed parts

Replacing slow castings

Navy co-funded Lincoln Electric wire-arc printing cells make large metal parts for Electric Boat where castings run late.

Primer