The U.S. Navy has officially begun construction of the USS Wisconsin (SSBN 827), the second Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, with a keel laying ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Quonset Point facility on August 27, 2025. The submarine will be the third U.S. naval vessel to bear the state’s name, following two historic battleships. Once completed, the Wisconsin will carry 16 Trident II D5LE ballistic missiles and Mk 48 torpedoes, forming a critical part of America’s strategic nuclear deterrent.
The Columbia-class submarines are the largest ever built by the U.S., measuring 171 meters in length and displacing over 20,000 tons. Designed for 42 years of service without refueling, they employ advanced nuclear propulsion, quiet turbo-electric drive, and cutting-edge sonar and combat systems. Modular construction is being carried out by Electric Boat (78%) and Huntington Ingalls (22%), with more than 3,000 suppliers across the country contributing. Workforce expansion, robotics integration, and $2.2 billion in facility upgrades aim to sustain the program’s demanding production schedule.
The Columbia-class will replace the aging Ohio-class SSBNs, with 12 boats planned under a program now estimated at $132 billion. However, industrial challenges and supply chain delays have already shifted the first boat’s delivery from 2027 to 2028–29, raising concerns about maintaining the Navy’s minimum requirement of 10 deployable SSBNs. The USS Wisconsin is expected to be christened in 2029 and commissioned in 2031, symbolizing both America’s nuclear deterrence and Wisconsin’s historic naval heritage.
Share this content:
Leave a Reply