Newport News Shipbuilding delivers first Columbia-class stern

Photo: Ashley Cowan/HII

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has delivered the stern of the first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine stern to General Dynamics Electric Boat. Transported on GD Electric Boat’s Bollinger-built 400-foot-long ocean transport barge Holland to its facility in Quonset Point, R.I., the first Columbia-class stern delivery marked a significant milestone in the Columbia class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) program.

Since 2013, the Navy has consistently identified the Columbia-class program as its top priority program. According to a recent Congressional Research Service report, the Navy’s FY2024 budget submission estimates the procurement costs of the first and second boats in the 12-boat class at about $15.2 billion and $9.3 billion respectively. The first boat’s procurement cost is much higher than that of subsequent boats as, in line Navy budgetary practice, the first boat includes most of the detail design/nonrecurring engineering costs for the class.

How much of that is accounted for by this first Columbia-class stern is not something anyone is talking about, but it is likely one of the more expensive things ever transported on a barge.

“This is a major milestone in the ramp-up of Columbia-class module production here at NNS,” said Brandi Smith, NNS vice president of Columbia-class submarine construction. “Our shipbuilders have worked with pride to accomplish this milestone, and we look forward to continuing our commitment to this important national security program.”

Newport News is a major shipbuilding partner in the Columbia-class program, constructing and delivering six module sections per submarine under contract to Electric Boat. It started advanced construction for the program with a first-cut-of-steel ceremony back in October 2019,