Block V class Virginia submarines costing more than $20bn to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles are delayed by 2 years

We wrote about delays in deliveries of Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles, F-15EX fighters, KC-46A air tankers and Air Force One aircraft. Another project that has faced delays concerns new submarines.

Here's What We Know

The US Navy ordered nine Block V and Block IV Virginia-class submarines. The cost of construction was $24bn. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), implementation has been delayed by two years.

Independent government auditors found that the U.S. Navy's Virginia-class fast-moving submarine project continues to "degrade". A key problem is a shortage of manpower.

The US defence industry is experiencing a shortage of qualified personnel, which makes it impossible to ensure that the work is done in a timely manner. Moreover, the shortage of highly qualified personnel reaches 25%.

One of the reasons is the high level of workload associated with the construction of strategic missile cruisers of the Columbia class. They will be the carriers of Trident II (D5) intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads and will replace the Ohio-class submarines.

The major innovation in Block V submarines will be the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). This model will increase the number of Tomahawk cruise missiles and other weapons. At the same time, the length of the submarine will increase by 25 meters to 140 meters.

Source: Breaking Defense