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

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/stories/pentagon-s-submarine-chief-says-delivering-the-first-columbia-in-2028-1e8fda56
Date: 20 Apr 2026
About: [General Dynamics Electric Boat](https://technooptimist.io/companies/general-dynamics-electric-boat.md) · [Columbia and Virginia submarine production](https://technooptimist.io/manufacturing/submarine-production.md)
Original source: https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/delivering-first-columbia-class-sub-in-2028-will-prove-wicked-heavy-lift-sub-czar/

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.

## Key facts

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

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