United States Navy plans to replace 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines with 12 Columbia-class boats
The United States Navy is replacing the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines with a new, more modern class of boats. The new boats will be available for patrolling operations in 2031. These boats will be equipped with 70 percent of the nation's nuclear arsenal. The Navy has stated repeatedly since September 2013 that it would replace the Ohio-class submarines with Columbia-class boats.
There are currently 14 Ohio class submarines serving the US Navy. They are expected to last for 42 years. When they are replaced, they will have a replacement of less than half their size. The Ohio-class boats were first deployed in 1980 and will be retired in the 2020s. Although initially delayed by two-years, the Navy has declared the replacement program its top priority and expects to acquire at least two more boats in 2024.
Boats will have a larger volume than Ohio-class boat
The Columbia-class program is designed to produce 12 ballistic missile submarines that will replace the Ohio-class boats. The US Navy regards the Columbia-class program as a high priority and it is expected to be completed by 2021. These new submarines will be larger than the current ones and will be the largest ever built by the US Navy.
Also, the new boats will have a higher submerged displacement that the Ohio-class boats. These boats will be faster, more powerful, and have other advanced features. These boats should last at most 40 years, according the Navy.
Virginia-class technology will be utilized by vessels
The Virginia-class attack submarine technology will be utilized in the Columbia-class submarines. They will be shorter and heavier than Virginia-class submarines. However, they will carry fewer nuclear weapons. Their complex electric-drive propulsion system is designed to remain relevant for 50 years or more. Leaders in Navy and Electric Boat both believe they have a sound strategy and are using techniques that have been tested with the Virginia class submarines.
The fly-bywire joystick control system, large-aperture bow array and sonar first used on Virginia's attack submarines, will be available to Columbia-class submarines. This sophisticated control system uses algorithms and sends signals from the stern and rudder to guide the ship's movement. Sonar technology detects and analyses underwater threats.
Boats will only be built using GD/EB and HII/NNS
Until recently, the Columbia-class program was known as the Ohio Replacement Program, which was a reference to the Ohio-class submarines that the Navy is in the process of replacing. Columbia is the name of Columbia the Columbia-class boat. The first boat from this class will ship in October 2027. The second will arrive in October 2030.
The new submarines, which will be nearly three times as heavy as the early-model Virginia SSNs, will be significantly heavier than Ohio's-class submarines. By 2029, the US Navy is expected to require a new type of ballistic missile submarines. GD/EB and HII/NS will be the major design contributors to the Columbia-class programme.