Pentagon's submarine chief says delivering the first Columbia in 2028 will be a heavy lift

General Dynamics Electric Boat/Columbia and Virginia submarine production

Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, the Pentagon's first portfolio manager for submarines, said the 2028 delivery target for District of Columbia will be hard to meet. The boat was about 65% complete in February, and full-rate Columbia construction is expected in the early 2030s.

• Originally due in 2027; a 2025 estimate said 2029.
• An acceleration plan aimed to get all lead-boat modules to Groton by end-2025.