The U.S Department of Defense has awarded a $2.28 billion contract to General Dynamics Electric Boat for building 5 Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, from SSBN-828 through SSBN-832.

The Navy got the first Columbia-class sub in 2021.

These submarines will be the largest ones ever constructed for the U.S Navy with a submerged displacement of 20,810 tonnes and an LOA of 560 feet.

The remaining are being constructed at Electric Boat’s Groton, Connecticut, shipyard, and also in Rhode Island and Virginia.

The company will coordinate with the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington so the project moves without delays as it aims to replace the old Ohio-class subs, which are nearing the end of their four decades of service lives.

The Navy wants 12 Columbia-class subs to replace the 14 Ohio-class ones, the first of which entered service in 1981.

The Ohio-class submarines will retire at the rate of one submarine per year from 2027 to 2040, and the Columbia-class submarines will replace them on a one-for-one basis starting in 2031.

The program, earlier known as the Ohio Replacement Program, is the Navy’s major priority.

The Columbia-class subs will accommodate 16 Trident D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and a sonar suite.

To remain undetectable, the subs have advanced quieting equipment and a pump-jet propulsion system.

With an operational span of 40 plus years, each sub will run on a nuclear reactor core, which means they won’t need to refuel, doing away with overhauling, which was needed by their predecessors.

The total procurement cost for the Columbia class is $126.4 billion.

The lead submarine, the future USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), is estimated to cost$15.2 billion, while the second submarine, USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827), is projected at $9.3 billion.

The Pentagon wants the subs to be delivered on time, which is why in 2024, they requested Congress for an extra 1.59 billion dollars.

The shipyards have called for extra hands to work on the project, and it has moved forward with design and early construction.

In 2022, the lead submarine’s keel-laying ceremony was held. Additional contract modifications in the last 2-4 years have led to missile tube production.

With this latest contract, Electric Boat is moving deeper into production of the fleet, which will carry the nation’s most survivable nuclear weapons through the 2080s.

Navy officials warned that timely delivery is vital, not only to prevent the gaps in deterrent patrols but to maintain the credibility of the U.S in an era of heightened rivalry between countries.