Columbia-class SSBN (SSBN-X Future Follow-on Submarine)

The Submarine industrial base will receive a further $6.2 billion across the FYDP, designated towards growing production capacity to at least one Columbia and 2 Virginias every year via supply chain stabilization and workforce growth. An additional $7.2 billion allotted to Nuclear Shipbuilder productivity enhancement in the same period could also help to achieve desired rates.
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Need to speed that up, but the article does mention a max of 5 boats delivered in one year in 2039.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/2062883069665649029
View: https://x.com/ChurchillWw/status/2062883069665649029?s=20


https://www.austal.com/ships/submarines
Since 2022, our team in the USA has been a key partner in advancing the United States Navy’s submarine production capacity through the fabrication and outfitting of critical module components for both the Virginia-class and Columbia-class programs. Working in strategic partnership with General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB), we play a vital role in strengthening the Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) and enhancing America’s undersea deterrence capabilities.
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Department of War Awards Historic Shipbuilding Contract to Cement Undersea Dominance​

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/P...hipbuilding-contract-to-cement-undersea-domi/
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of War expanded its undersea warfighting capabilities by awarding a five-ship contract modification to General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) for the construction of five Columbia Class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), a nine-ship contract to GDEB and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) for the construction of Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 through FY 2029 Virginia Class submarines, and previously awarded shipyard productivity efforts to the two companies. These awards represent a historic investment in maritime modernization and supremacy, with a combined total value of $76.6B
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Finally an X-stern on a USN production combat submarine. It only took 65 years (Albacore's x-stern was added in 1960).
 
spikedpsycho said:
It would just be cheaper refurbish the Ohios
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Unfortunately, that just isn't possible. I worked the SSGN tech-refresh and some of the kit in these antiques is so old that elements of it are effectively unobtainium. You'd literally have to engineer clean-sheet drop-in replacements.

Add to that the time and effort of chopping the boat apart to get all that stuff replaced and you're spending way more than newcon. It simply isn't economically viable.
 
I wonder about the metal fatigue of the hulls. Theyve had a better innings than most Atlantic/North Sea ships that really suffer hull degradation and marginally better than the average Pacific ship. But the hulls must be full of microfractures by now.
 
WatcherZero said:
I wonder about the metal fatigue of the hulls. Theyve had a better innings than most Atlantic/North Sea ships that really suffer hull degradation and marginally better than the average Pacific ship. But the hulls must be full of microfractures by now.
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Way back in the day, the boats were put under a microscope because of the treaty limiting the US to 14 SSBNs. I'm talking X-rays, samples, whole 9 yards of inspections.

That showed that the oldest 4 boats still had 20something years of hull life left, and the USN didn't want to get rid of 4 boats or 8 crews. Hence Ohio SSGN proposals and "Hey, Russia, what will you accept for proof of removal from strategic service?"

So the USN wrote up a 20 year core refresh instead of a ~15 year core refresh like the 688s usually got, and physically ripped out the old Missile Control Center and Navigation Center, replacing MCC with a big SOF room and turning half or more of Nav Center into a SOF mission planning space. Plus ripping out the old strategic-nav ESGNs for the F-18 surplus RLGNs.

By today, though, I would be deeply suspicious of any of the 726-class hulls. Yeah, they're keeping water out of the people tank, but I'd be willing to bet that their max dive depths have been getting restricted.
 

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