Lawmakers seek details on submarine production plans, warn of industrial-base risks
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Summary
Members from submarine-building states pressed DOD officials on the status of Virginia- and Columbia-class production after the department's outline showed shifts in planned funding; DOD said it is engaged with industry and will provide program details to the committee.
Representatives with shipbuilding and submarine concerns told Defense Department leaders on June 10 that they need concrete financial plans and schedules to ensure the U.S. submarine industrial base can ramp production and avoid shortfalls.
A member representing a Connecticut district said the Columbia and Virginia programs are "critical to the United States national security and military readiness" and asked whether the department's proposed funding and timeline would create production gaps. The member cited reporting that the department planned to move roughly $3.1 billion in Columbia-class funding out of 2026 and spread it into 2027 and 2028, a step members warned could disrupt contractor capacity and shipyard production rates.
Secretary Hegseth told the committee the department has engaged almost daily with major shipbuilders, including Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls, and that the deputy secretary and Navy leadership are actively addressing shortfalls to close production gaps. He said the department will provide the committee the written details members requested.
Members repeatedly asked for dollar-level plans that the committee can review before markups; DOD officials acknowledged the committee's investments in recent years and said they would provide the requested program-level information for the record and for use in markups.