HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that the U.S. nuclear submarine shipbuilding team, which includes the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division, has been awarded contracts for construction of Block VI Virginia-class and Build II Columbia-class submarines. The combined total of approximately $76.6 billion in contract modifications from the U.S. Navy to HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) is to support the construction of five additional Columbia-class, nine additional Virginia-class submarines, and other funding for shipyard infrastructure. In the Virginia-class program, NNS will serve as the delivery yard for six of the planned submarines. In the Columbia-class program, NNS is a major shipbuilding partner, constructing and delivering six module sections per submarine. NNS and GDEB have built and delivered 26 Virginia-class submarines to date.
“We are committed to building the nuclear-powered submarines that protect our nation,” NNS President Kari Wilkinson said. “These contracts provide the American shipbuilding industrial base the opportunity to demonstrate that commitment in a meaningful way and we are honored to serve our customer and our country.”
The Virginia class, or the SSN-774 class, is a class of nuclear-powered attack submarines with vertical launching system (VLS)-launched cruise missile capability in service with the United States Navy. The Block VI boats will feature six 84-foot wide Multiple All-up-round Canister (MAC) VPMs, four in the middle of the submarine and two on the bow, with each VPM holding seven TLAMs, this will give the Block VI a total capacity of over forty Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. The Navy is also planning to equip its attack submarines, including some of the Block VI’s VPMs, with the new Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile system starting in 2028. Design improvements on the Block VI include improvements in stealth, propulsion, weapons and specialized technology for interacting with the water column from the surface to the seabed, allowing the Block VI to perform land strike missions, anti-submarine and surface ship warfare, special operations support, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The upcoming Columbia class (formerly known as the Ohio Replacement Submarine and SSBN-X Future Follow-on Submarine) are nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines of the United States Navy, designed to replace the Ohio class. Construction of the first vessel began on 1 October 2020, and is scheduled to enter service in 2031. On 3 June 2022, the Navy announced that the lead vessel of the class will be named USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), because there is already an attack submarine named USS Columbia (SSN-771). Nevertheless, the Navy has since continued to refer to the class as Columbia. Securing the supply chain and maintaining a skilled labor force are two major challenges for the program. On 29 July 2026, the US Navy announced a $29.5 billion contract modification to build an additional 5 submarines, SSBN 828-832.
