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United States In development General Dynamics Electric Boat
Columbia-class Submarine
Next-generation ballistic-missile submarine set to replace the aging Ohio class as the sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, featuring a life-of-boat reactor core that eliminates the need for mid-life refueling.
In service since 2027 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
20
kn
20,810
t
155
crew
💲 ≈ $9,400,000,000 — Lead-boat procurement cost estimate
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2027. Status: announced.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$24B – $33B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- VLS cells
Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship — a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming.
- 16 Stronger than 77% of submarines
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 170.7 m
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $9,400,000,000 Stronger than 17% of submarines
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 0 Bottom 3% of submarines
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 39% of submarines
Specifications compiled from public General Dynamics Electric Boat and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
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Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class Frequently asked questions
What is the General Dynamics Electric Boat Columbia-class Submarine used for? +
The General Dynamics Electric Boat Columbia-class Submarine is a submarine typically used for deep strike.
How many countries operate the General Dynamics Electric Boat Columbia-class Submarine? +
The General Dynamics Electric Boat Columbia-class Submarine is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the General Dynamics Electric Boat Columbia-class Submarine cost? +
The General Dynamics Electric Boat Columbia-class Submarine has an approximate unit cost of 9,400,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
