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| USS Columbia SSBN 826, US-Made Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) |
International Military - The US is ready to build the Navy's newest generation nuclear ballistic missile (SSBN) submarine, the USS Columbia SSBN 826. On June 4, US Congressmen and US Navy officials joined General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) employees in a 'laying-out ceremony'. paid off'.
The ceremony was held at the GDEB facility in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. During the keel laying ceremony, the initials of the ship's sponsor are welded to the steel plate to be mounted on the submarine. It will remain throughout the life of the ship to remind crew of the strong relationship between the ship and its sponsor.
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Quoting from the Eurasian Times, the USS District of Columbia is the first ship in the new class of SSBNs built for the US Navy by GDEB. According to GDEB president Kevin Graney, these submarines have an important role for the US Navy. "These submarines are critical to our national defense and will embody the commitment to excellence, which our shipbuilders bring to their work every day," said Kevin Graney, president of GDEB.
Not only that, twelve Columbia-class nuclear submarines will put 14 older Ohio-class ships into service which will begin retiring in 2027. Conceptual design of the SSBN class will begin in 2007, and construction of the main ship, SSBN-826, begins. on October 1, 2020.
The Columbia class will be longer and heavier than the existing Ohio class SSBNs. The vessel will have a complex electric propulsion propulsion system and related technologies. Will be the largest, each of the dozen planned vessels will be 560 feet long with a beam of 43 feet and a displacement of 20,810 tons.
The submarine will also boast a lifetime reactor, meaning the reactor will not need to be refueled during its planned service life. This in turn makes the ship more cost-effective to operate and maximizes deployment time.
The service life of each submarine is also said to be as long as 42 years. The Columbia-class submarines will each carry 16 missiles, which in total will represent about 70% of the US nuclear arsenal.
Additionally, the new submarines will feature the joint US-British-developed Common Missile Compartment (CMC) on the Royal Navy's new Dreadnought-class submarines. In addition to the 16 missiles, the new submarine will be equipped with an upgraded variant of the MK 48 Mod 7 torpedo.
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This was reported according to a Naval Systems Command report on the keel laying of the USS Columbia District. The torpedoes included include the MK 48 Mod 7 21 inches in diameter and weighing 3520 pounds (1596,645 kilograms). It can also destroy targets at a distance of up to 5 miles (8.04 km) and travel at a speed of over 28 knots (14.40 m/s).
The weapon can operate at depths of more than 1,200 feet and fire a 650-pound (294.83kg) high-explosive warhead, according to data from the US Navy and Lockheed Martin.
The upgraded torpedo variant is said to have stealth characteristics that could help ensure the Columbia-class submarine remains undetected at sea. The previous version, MK 48 Mod 6, has been in operation since 1997.
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Meanwhile, the newer Mod 7 has been in service since 2006. Since then, Lockheed Martin has reportedly been working on upgrades that involve customizing the guide control box, broadband sonar, acoustic receiver, and amplifier components. “The newest MK 48 ADCAP (advanced capability) version is mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System.
The MK 48 ADCAP mod 7 CBASS torpedo is the result of a Joint Development Program with the Royal Australian Navy and achieved initial operational capability in 2006,” a Naval Sea Systems Command spokesperson said several years ago.
According to USNI News, Columbia is set to enter rotation in 2031. According to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday, the ship will be the largest and most complex ever built. “Columbia is a submarine weighing 20,000 tons. It is the largest and most complex submarine ever built," he said.
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The yard leaders told USNI News that they are also optimistic about increasing the construction of the Columbia submarine and the more complex VPM Block V section.