The proposed FY2027-31 submarine construction budget lists $124.9 billion across the two programs discussed here. The totals are nearly equal: $62 billion for Columbia and $62.9 billion for Virginia. Within FY2027, the figures read out are $15.2 billion for Columbia and $14 billion for Virginia. The Columbia discussion connects its cost with the difficulty of making a large ballistic-missile submarine quiet enough to disappear into the ocean. The budget comparison therefore accompanies an explanation of the engineering demands of a survivable deterrent.
Notable Point · 2:15:42-2:17:31
Submarine budgets and the cost of a quiet deterrent
The proposed submarine budget divides $124.9 billion almost evenly between Columbia and Virginia, alongside an explanation of the cost of keeping large deterrent boats quiet.