Columbia Class Submarine: Delivery Hinges on Timely and Quality Materials from an Atrophied Supplier Base

Abstract

The Navy plans to invest about $128 billion in 12 Columbia class nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines. The shipbuilders will construct the Columbia class at the same time as the Virginia class attack submarines. They plan to rely on materials produced by a supplier base that is roughly 70 percent smaller than in previous shipbuilding booms. Congress included a provision in statute for GAO to examine the programs status. This report assesses the Navy's efforts to complete the design for the lead Columbia class submarine and actions the shipbuilders and the Navy have taken to prepare for construction and ensure the lead submarine is delivered according to schedule and quality expectations. GAO assessed Navy and shipbuilder design progress against cost and schedule estimates, reviewed documents, and interviewed officials about supplier readiness and quality assurance. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in November 2020. Information that the Department of Defense (DOD) deemed sensitive has been omitted.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2021
Accession Number
AD1147482

Entities

People

  • Shelby S. Oakley

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Assembly
  • Attack Submarines
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Boats
  • Construction
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Manufacturing
  • Materials
  • Navy
  • Production
  • Shipbuilding
  • Shipyards
  • Submarines
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Virginia Class

Readers

  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Industrial Economics
  • Missile Defense Systems.