
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that audited the Navy’s new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) argued the program needs an updated schedule risk analysis to assess the feasibility of the current schedule and identify critical risks. The report was skeptical of the Navy’s plans to achieve delivery of the first nuclear weapons-armed Columbia-class SSBN within 78 months, six months faster than the original latest date of 84 months from the start of formal construction. GAO said this is…