Page 9 - ADT SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2022 Online Magazine

several innovations that significantly enhance its warfighting capa- and Columbia, MO.
bilities, including in littoral -- or coastal -- operations.
The Columbia-class design, like the Ohio-class
This year, the Navy commissioned two newest Virginia-class fast design before it, will be the largest submarine  SUBMARINE
attack submarines. In May, the Navy commissioned the future USS ever built by the United States. The Columbia-
Oregon (SSN 793). Oregon is the second Block IV Virginia-class sub- class will carry 16 missiles each, which in total
marine to enter service, designed to carry out the core missions of represents approximately 70 per cent of the U.S.
the submarine force: anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; nuclear triad. In addition to its complement of
delivery of special operations forces; strike warfare; irregular warfare; missiles, the submarine will be armed with Mk
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and mine warfare. 48 torpedoes and will feature superior acoustic
And a month later, the Navy commissioned the future USS Montana performance and state-of-the-art sensors to
(SSN 794), the third Block IV Virginia-class submarine to enter ser- make it the most capable and quiet submarine
vice. The USS Vermont (SSN 792), the first of 10 Virginia-class Block ever built.
IV submarines, was commissioned in April 2020.
The Columbia-class remains the Navy’s number
NEXT GEN COLUMBIA CLASS GETTING READY one acquisition priority and is scheduled to see
its first delivery in 2027. The transition from the
Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines to the
Last June, General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) undertook the new Columbia-class will ensure continuous sea-
‘keel laying’ ceremony for the US Navy’s next-generation Columbia- based strategic deterrence into the 2080s. The
class nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) — USS District of Navy expects the lead Columbia-class boat
Columbia (SSBN 826), at GDEB’s facility in Quonset Point, Rhode ready for its scheduled first deterrent patrol in
Island.
2031, when it is to deploy in the place of the first
retiring Ohio-class SSBN. The Navy’s FY2023
The USS District of Columbia is the first ship in the new class of SSBNs budget submission estimated the total procure-
built for the US Navy by GDEB. A dozen Columbia-class nuclear ment cost of the 12-ship class at US$112.7 billion
submarines will replace the 14 ageing Ohio-class boats in service in then-year dollars.
that will begin retiring in 2027. The conceptual design of the upcom-
ing class of SSBNs started in 2007, and the construction of the lead Rear Adm. Scott Pappano, program executive
boat, SSBN-826, began on October 1, 2020. The Columbia-class officer for Strategic Submarine said the Ohio-
will be longer and heavier than the existing Ohio-class SSBNs and class SSBNs—designed for 30-year careers and
will have a complex electric drive propulsion system and associated extended to 42 years—may be extended even
technology.
longer on an individual basis.
Until 2016, the Columbia-class program was known as the Ohio “Individual extensions are being looked at for
replacement program (ORP) or SSBN(X) program, and boats in targeted work,” he said. The admiral also said
the class were referred to as Ohio replacement boats or SSBNXs. that the patrol and refit cycles of the Ohio class
Consequently, since December 2016, the 12 or more planned boats may be adjusted “to better maximise” their ser-
have been referred to as Columbia (SSBN-826) class boats. On June vice until the boats are retired in the late 2030s.
3, 2022, the Navy announced that it was modifying SSBN-826’s name
from Columbia to District of Columbia, so as to avoid an overlap in The Navy currently operates 14 Ohio (SSBN-726)
names with USS Columbia (SSN-771), a Los Angeles (SSN-688) class class SSBNs. The boats are commonly called
attack submarine that was named for Columbia, SC; Columbia, IL;
Trident SSBNs or simply Tridents because they
carry Trident D-5 SLBMs. They were procured in
1977-1991 and entered service in 1984-1997. They
were originally designed for 30-year service lives
but were later certified for 42-year service lives,
consisting of two approximately 19-year periods
of operation separated by an approximately
four-year midlife nuclear refuelling overhaul,
called an engineered refuelling overhaul (ERO).
The nuclear refuelling overhaul includes both
a nuclear refuelling and overhaul work on the
ship that is not related to the nuclear refuelling.

Both Russia and the United States are investing
heavily in submarines for several purposes, and
underwater warfare is about to enter a new and
deadly phase.

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