US orders 15 nuclear submarines in major new contract: Details revealed
Photo: The US has ordered about a dozen and a half nuclear submarines (Getty Images)
The Pentagon has awarded a series of contracts totaling more than $76 billion, under which the US Navy will receive 14 new submarines, according to the US Navy.
"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," according to a Navy statement.
The announced contracts represent historic investments in the modernization of the naval fleet, totaling $76.6 billion.
Source: US Navy
The Columbia-class submarines are intended to provide effective strategic deterrence at sea in the future. In addition, these contracts support the deployment of advanced Virginia-class submarines—a platform designed to deliver strike capabilities with a large payload.
According to the Pentagon, the Columbia-class submarines are the most survivable component of the nuclear triad. Equipped with ballistic missiles, these submarines remain the Department of Defense’s top procurement priority.
As of 2026, the US Navy has already contracted for seven Columbia-class submarines, as well as 26 Virginia-class submarines that have been built and 23 more planned for construction.
Source: US Navy
The United States will soon retire its Ohio-class submarines, which are capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles.
One of the unique characteristics of the Ohio-class submarines is their endurance. These submarines can carry out continuous missions lasting nearly two years. There is a well-known case in which the USS Florida covered nearly 100,000 kilometers during 700 days of combat duty.
