The US Navy is pushing back the estimated first delivery of its next-generation nuclear-armed submarine by 12-16 months, the most significant schedule slip to date for the service’s top acquisition program.
The Navy disclosed the delays in the Columbia-class submarine program in a new shipbuilding review that was announced Tuesday.
The first of the Columbia class’s 12 subs, all of which will carry intercontinental ballistic missiles, was contractually set to be delivered in October 2027. It’s another setback for the program, which is seen as a crucial replacement to the aging Ohio-class ICBM fleet. Last year, the Congressional Budget Office ...