The US is spending $125 billion to develop new submarines.

The US Department of Defense has officially approved funding for the development of its new submarines, totaling $125 billion.

Photo: US Navy

According to a report by the military news website Vpk on January 11th, citing the Deputy Secretary of Defense and Director of the Pentagon's Acquisition Program Administration, Frank Kendall, the cost of developing new submarines to replace the Ohio-class submarines alone is $96 billion. $13 billion is allocated to research and development and other expenses. The total budget for submarine development and testing exceeds $125 billion.

This is the third most expensive defense program in the U.S., surpassed only by the $379 billion F-35 fighter jet contract and the $153 billion ballistic missile defense network.

The program, called the "Ohio Replacement Plan," aims to create a new generation of submarines with superior capabilities to replace the Ohio-class ballistic missile nuclear submarines currently in service with the US Navy, and is projected to be completed by 2031.

General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding will be responsible for this work.

Currently in service with the U.S. Navy, the Ohio-class submarine is the only one capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Construction began in 1976, and the first Ohio-class submarines were commissioned into the U.S. Navy in 1981.

Initially, the U.S. planned to build 10 such submarines, but during construction, the number of Ohio-class submarines increased to 18. The Columbia-class submarines, developed by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding, are expected to replace the Ohio-class submarines in the coming decades.

Photo: Vpk.name

The Columbia-class submarine will weigh 20,810 tons, be 171 meters long, and 13 meters wide. This is the largest submarine the US Navy has ever used, compared to the Ohio-class submarine which weighs 18,750 tons, is 170 meters long, and 43 meters wide. Like the Ohio-class, the Columbia-class submarine will have a crew of 155 people.

The first Columbia-class ship is expected to cost $14.5 billion, including $5.7 billion for design modifications and contingency costs, and $8.8 billion for construction.

Some experts believe that the number of Columbia-class ships to be built will most likely be reduced from 12 to 10 due to high costs.

According to TPO