The USS District of Columbia faces a 12 to 16-month delay, the US Navy reportedly said on Tuesday. As for Columbia-class nuclear-armed submarines, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the cost of the program increase up to $120 billion, which is 20% over initial estimates.
The guided-missile frigate USS Constellation faces a delay of up to three years, the Navy said.
The USS Enterprise aircraft carrier also faces an 18 to 26-month delay, the Navy said.
The Navy attributed the delays to factors including design maturation, supply chain challenges and difficulty finding skilled workers.
“The review shows some of the metrics sought” by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro on “the impact of Covid on production cadence,” said Representative Joe Courtney of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services seapower subcommittee.