Preliminary Cost Estimates of New SSBN

[bobbymike]

From Insidedefense.com - Navy Confronts $80 Billion Cost Of New Ballistic Missile Submarines
Inside the Pentagon, Dec. 3, 2009 -- The Navy is preparing to tell Congress the $80 billion cost of building new ballistic missile submarines in the coming years could force big shipbuilding cuts and trigger industry consolidation unless the service receives additional funding for the project, Inside the Pentagon has learned.
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Hopefully details emerge as to "what exactly (size, number of missile tubes, etc.)" will cost $80 billion ???

My other thought was; This was Gates' BIG "new weapon system" anouncement along with the cuts for F-22, etc. Let's see if it gets the funding it needs without hurting the rest of the ship building budget.

 

[RyanC]

So gates kills the F-22 for this???

Better to spend the $80 billion on a Mach 3+ supercruising heavy bomber capable of deploying about 35,000-40,000 lbs of weapons from internal bomb bays, with a combat altitude of 85,000 feet and a zoom climb capability of about 100,000 ft.

 

[Colonial-Marine]

What is wrong with the Ohio class?

 

[TomS]

What is wrong with the Ohio class?

The youngest of them is about 12 years old and the oldest is pushing 30. They're going to have to be replaced at some point (probably within the next fifteen years, depending on hull and reactor life expectancies), so it's time to at least think about starting development work. With a probable 25-year plus hiatus in SSBN production, simply building more boats using the old design probably isn't feasible, and there have been numerous technical developments that should be incorporated.

 

[F-14D]

What is wrong with the Ohio class?

The youngest of them is about 12 years old and the oldest is pushing 30. They're going to have to be replaced at some point (probably within the next fifteen years, depending on hull and reactor life expectancies), so it's time to at least think about starting development work. With a probable 25-year plus hiatus in SSBN production, simply building more boats using the old design probably isn't feasible, and there have been numerous technical developments that should be incorporated.

The first of the class is presently scheduled to retire in 2029. Given the glacial pace at which we do things nowadays, work on a successor must be initiated by 2016 in order to meet that date, which means detailed design would have to begin around 2014. Defense Secretary Gates says that drives the program start to 2010. Glacial pace indeed!

 

[Triton]

Does this $80 billion cost estimate include the development and manufacture of a new generation submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with new warheads? Or will the next generation of SSBN use a refurbished Trident II D-5?

 

[F-14D]

Does this $80 billion cost estimate include the development and manufacture of a new generation submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with new warheads? Or will the next generation of SSBN use a refurbished Trident II D-5?

I don't know, but I doubt it. This is probably the cost of the subs themselves. The replacement missiles are a separate program, also timed to be available no later than 2029 (assuming the sub and missile programs are allowed to continue).

 

[bobbymike]

As far as SLBMs I thought I read somewhere that Trident D5's will be built until 2042. Also, if you Google "New Underwater launched missile systems" you can find an article that the Navy is exploring 120" diameter missile tubes on the Ohio replacement. The Russian R36M2 (SS-18 Mod 5) is 120" in diameter.

Here is the link - http://www.heraldscotland.com/oops-american-missile-to-replace-trident-is-too-big-for-britain-s-nuclear-submarines-1.828239

 

[F-14D]

As far as SLBMs I thought I read somewhere that Trident D5's will be built until 2042. Also, if you Google "New Underwater launched missile systems" you can find an article that the Navy is exploring 120" diameter missile tubes on the Ohio replacement. The Russian R36M2 (SS-18 Mod 5) is 120" in diameter.

Here is the link - http://www.heraldscotland.com/oops-american-missile-to-replace-trident-is-too-big-for-britain-s-nuclear-submarines-1.828239

Actually, the article says that the last Tridents will be phased out in 2042. They're probably referring to the subs, not the missiles. In either case, production will have ceased some time before then.