Story · US Navy
US Navy Attack Submarine Construction Takes 12 Years Due to Workforce and Yard Bottlenecks
The US Navy commissioned two new Virginia-class attack submarines in spring 2026, USS Massachusetts and USS Idaho, each taking roughly 12 years from contract to commissioning. This marks a doubling of construction time compared to the 2000s when submarines were built in 5-6 years. The delays stem from workforce shortages at the only two nuclear-capable shipyards (Electric Boat and Newport News), supplier chain issues, and the added complexity of the Block V payload module. The yards are also prioritizing the Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine program. The Navy requires two Virginia-class submarines per year but is currently delivering about 1.3, with the two-per-year target now pushed to around 2032.
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