U.S. News: Lawmakers Urge Mega Submarine Contracts

 

 

“WASHINGTON -- Republicans and Democrats in Congress are pushing the Navy to award contracts for at least 15 submarines after months of delays, arguing that waiting any longer could harm the bespoke manufacturing base the Navy relies on.

 

Congress approved the construction of as many as 13 Virginia-class attack submarines in 2023 and five Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines in 2025. No deals have been signed yet, despite expectations that orders for 10 of the Virginia-class vessels would have been signed in 2024.

 

The entire deal could be valued at around $100 billion for General Dynamics's Electric Boat and HII's Newport News Shipbuilding, which together lead the construction of all the Navy's submarines.

 

Lawmakers from both parties are warning that the delays could slow submarine production, which the Navy has vowed to speed up.

 

Rep. Rob Wittman, a Virginia Republican who is vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the contracts are necessary to send a signal to companies.

 

"I fully expect the Navy to quickly move forward with this block buy contract, one that will save the taxpayers money and preserve the health of the submarine industrial base," Wittman said. Wittman, whose congressional district borders Newport News Shipbuilding, noted that most components used for making submarines are so specialized that only one supplier makes each of them, and that delaying contracts can endanger such businesses' viability.

 

Rep. Joe Courtney (D., Conn.), who represents the district that is home to Electric Boat, said signing the contract is critical to shipbuilders and supply-chain companies as they try to hire the right workers and stay in business. "There is huge bipartisan agreement that we need to grow the submarine fleet and that it's time for the Navy to move forward and eliminate any risk that a contract delay could cause," he said.

 

A Navy spokesman declined to give reasons for the delay or say when the contract would be awarded but said that increasing submarine production rates is a priority.

 

"The Department of the Navy understands the importance of timely contract awards to support stable, predictable shipbuilding and supplier workload," the spokesman said.

 

The Virginia class, of which the Navy already has 24 submarines, is an established class of attack submarine, each costing around $5 billion, that can strike targets on land and ships at sea.

 

The Columbia class is a newer model submarine, expected to cost roughly $9.3 billion each, that can launch nuclear-armed ballistic missiles. Both are nuclear powered and can operate discreetly in waters around the world, allowing commanders to launch covert strikes.

 

Congress this month confirmed Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher to oversee submarine production in a new position that reports directly to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg.

 

The delayed submarine deals have frequently come up during quarterly earnings calls, with analysts pressing executives for answers about the timing of the contracts.

 

"To be quite honest, we don't know" when the contracts will be awarded, General Dynamics Chief Executive Phebe Novakovic said during the company's earnings call last month. "We know that both of those contracts are out there, the demand is there and it's simply up to the government when they come to us."

 

HII Chief Executive Chris Kastner said the company has been "engaged heavily with Electric Boat and the Navy to get it behind us." He noted that Congress's recent passage of defense appropriations for fiscal 2026 could help get the deal finalized.” [1]

 

1. U.S. News: Lawmakers Urge Mega Submarine Contracts. Weisgerber, Marcus.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 26 Feb 2026: A3.