U.S. Navy’s Next-Gen SSN(X) Submarine Delayed Until 2040 Due to Rising Costs and Industrial Strain

The U.S. Navy’s highly anticipated next-generation attack submarine program, known as SSN(X), has suffered a major setback, with its expected delivery now delayed until 2040. Originally planned for production in 2031, the schedule has been pushed back twice—first to 2035, and now by another five years, largely due to ballooning costs, industrial delays, and budget pressures.

This delay was first highlighted in a Fox News report and reflects serious concerns about the future strength of the U.S. Navy’s undersea warfare capabilities.

In its Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, the Navy has asked for $623 million to continue research and development on the SSN(X) program. But even with this funding, progress has slowed, with the submarine’s debut now over 15 years away.

The SSN(X) submarines are envisioned as the most advanced attack subs ever built, promising enhanced stealth, greater torpedo capacity, improved surveillance and intelligence systems, and tight integration with unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). Designed to weigh around 10,000 tons, each unit is expected to cost between $6.7 billion and $8 billion—double the cost of the current Virginia-class submarines, which are priced around $4 billion each.

Part of the challenge lies in limited production capacity. Only two U.S. shipyards—Electric Boat in Connecticut and Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia—are equipped to build nuclear-powered submarines, and both are already struggling to keep up with Virginia-class orders. Currently, they are averaging just over one submarine per year, well below demand.

In a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Brett A. Seidle, the acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, warned:

“Costs are rising faster than inflation, and schedules on multiple programmes are delayed one to three years.”
He emphasized that the Navy is facing significant difficulty delivering ships on time and within budget, a situation that could hamper America’s maritime dominance.

There is also growing pressure on lawmakers to reassess the shipbuilding strategy, including possible adoption of alternative reactor designs, like low-enriched uranium (LEU), which could reduce costs and safety risks over the long term.

Despite the complications, the Navy is still aiming to expand its fleet from 296 to 381 ships in the coming decades. Achieving that target would require not only massive industrial scaling, but also stable and increased funding, especially in the face of complex multi-billion-dollar platforms like the SSN(X).

The delay raises serious concerns among defense planners, as potential adversaries like China continue to modernize their naval fleets, potentially challenging the U.S. Navy’s edge in undersea warfare by the time the SSN(X) finally arrives.