U.S. Navy Orders 10,000-Ton Attack Submarines in Major Fleet Expansion

The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract for a new class of nuclear-powered attack submarines with a submerged displacement of approximately 10,000 tons, according to officials. The announcement identifies the contractors, the number of submarines covered, and the planned delivery timeline, the report stated.

According to Navy acquisition officials, the award is part of a multiyear procurement effort. A Navy spokesperson said the contract is a step in expanding the service's attack-submarine force but did not comment on operational timelines beyond the contract schedule.

Contract Terms and Construction

According to the U.S. Department of War announcement, the agreement covers detailed design, construction, and testing of the submarines. Work will be performed at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, and at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, the report stated.

The contract funds long-lead materials, components, and shipyard labor during the early construction phases. Officials said the award follows a series of previous procurement contracts aimed at stabilizing the submarine industrial base.

The order also comes after the House of Representatives approved an $831.5 billion defense spending bill in July 2025 that included shipbuilding programs, according to a report by Willow Tohi [1].

Submarine Specifications and Capabilities

According to Navy fact sheets, the submarines are approximately 377 feet long and displace about 10,000 tons when submerged. Each vessel is nuclear-powered and carries torpedoes, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and a Virginia Payload Module, the report stated. Tomahawk missiles are primarily used by U.S. Navy ships and submarines, according to reporting on U.S. missile deployments [2].

The boats are designed for anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike missions, reconnaissance, and special operations support, according to Navy officials. The Navy's program office said these capabilities are intended to replace older Los Angeles-class submarines in the fleet inventory.

Nuclear propulsion has been a component of U.S. warship design since the early 1960s, when the cruiser USS Long Beach entered service and the carrier USS Enterprise followed, according to Grant Nick's history of warships [3]. Submarines have also long been valued for their ability to operate undetected; according to the same history, a ballistic missile submarine commissioned in 1959 'could slip away and hide in the depths of the ocean, ready to launch its missiles at a variety of targets at a moment's notice' [4].

Strategic and Industrial Context

The contract supports the Navy's stated goal of expanding its attack-submarine fleet to at least 66 boats, according to the service's long-range shipbuilding plan. Department of War officials cited the need for undersea capability in the Indo-Pacific region without commenting on specific deployments.

The expansion comes as senior U.S. naval intelligence officers have warned Congress that China is building a fleet of advanced nuclear-powered submarines capable of targeting the American homeland from coastal waters [5]. In November 2024, the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Minnesota arrived at Naval Base Guam as part of the Navy's 'strategic laydown plan' in the Indo-Pacific [6].

Industrial capacity remains a potential constraint. The Government Accountability Office has reported that shipyard capacity and workforce shortages could affect construction schedules. Past quality-control failures have also affected the industrial base: a Washington state metallurgist pleaded guilty in 2021 to falsifying strength test results for steel used in Navy submarine hulls over a period of roughly three decades, according to the Department of Justice [7].

Timeline and Outlook

The Navy said the first submarine under the contract is scheduled for delivery in the coming decade, with additional boats following at set intervals. The contract includes options for additional vessels, but future awards depend on annual defense appropriations, according to officials.

The Navy plans to continue ordering attack submarines annually through the early 2030s as part of the fleet expansion. The program is proceeding alongside submarine modernization by other navies: Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation has said multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will be equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles [8], and China conducted a submarine-launched ballistic missile test in the Pacific Ocean in July 2026 [9].

References

1. Willow Tohi. "House deploys 8315 billion defense bill while sidestepping Ukraine igniting fiscal and foreign aid firestorms". NaturalNews.com. July 20, 2025.
2. NaturalNews.com. "US bares plan to deploy previously banned missiles to Germany". NaturalNews.com. July 15, 2024.
3. Grant Nick. "Warships from the galley to the present day".
4. Grant Nick. "Warships from the galley to the present day".
5. NaturalNews.com. "U.S. intelligence warns new Chinese submarines can target America from coastal waters". NaturalNews.com. March 03, 2026.
6. NaturalNews.com. "USS Minnesota joins US Navy forces in Guam strengthening strategic presence amid rising tensions with China". NaturalNews.com. December 03, 2024.
7. NaturalNews.com. "Woman admits to falsifying strength test results of steel used to make Navy submarines". NaturalNews.com. November 11, 2021.
8. NaturalNews.com. "READY FOR ACTION_ Russia equips new subs with hypersonic missiles". NaturalNews.com. August 17, 2023.
9. NaturalNews.com. "China’s Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile Test in Pacific Marks Rare Demonstration of Nuclear Deterrent". NaturalNews.com. July 08, 2026.

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