GAO: Navy Submarine Delays Cost $3.4 Billion

A Government Accountability Office report publicly released Thursday, August 27, 2026, says the Navy lost more than 15,000 operational days from its attack-submarine fleet during fiscal years 2016 through 2025 because of maintenance delays and idle time. GAO estimated that sustaining the submarines and crews during those periods cost about $3.4 billion even though they provided no operational capability.

The watchdog said the Navy has not fully addressed the maintenance, idle-time and shipyard-capacity problems affecting the fleet. GAO also warned that submarines awaiting retirement could create another multibillion-dollar burden if the Navy does not change how it handles decommissioning.

What GAO found

GAO reviewed Navy attack-submarine maintenance data for fiscal years 2016 through 2025, along with Navy documents and interviews with officials. The report said lost operational days included delays in completing depot maintenance and what the agency calls active idle time.

Active idle time occurs when an attack submarine and its crew must remain pier-side because the submarine is no longer certified to conduct normal operations and cannot be inducted into a maintenance period. The submarine and crew continue to require personnel and support while the boat is unavailable for regular operations.

GAO said the public version of the report omits classified or sensitive information, including details about attack-submarine operational availability and the Navy’s approach to force generation.

Decommissioning backlog adds a second risk

GAO separately examined inactive idle time involving submarines designated for decommissioning. Those boats cannot begin the retirement process when shipyard capacity is unavailable to place them in a dry dock for nuclear-reactor defueling. Until space is available, the submarine and crew remain pier-side.

Without mitigation, GAO said 15 attack submarines will enter inactive idle time during fiscal years 2026 through 2030. The agency projected more than 14,000 inactive-idle days and more than $3.1 billion in operating and support costs for those submarines over that period.

The $3.1 billion figure is a projection, not spending that GAO says has already occurred. It represents the potential cost if the Navy does not reduce the time submarines awaiting decommissioning remain inactive.

Two recommendations remain open

GAO made two recommendations to the Department of the Navy. The first calls for a full evaluation of alternative ways to decommission attack submarines more efficiently and improve the use of shipyard capacity for the operational fleet. GAO identified options that could include defueling outside dry docks and reducing crews on submarines awaiting decommissioning.

The second recommendation calls for the Navy to use that evaluation to develop and implement an attack-submarine inactivation plan. The plan should include steps to achieve defined objectives and timeframes for monitoring and mitigating the risks associated with inactive idle time.

Both recommendations were listed as open when the report was released. The Navy verbally concurred with them but had not provided written comments.

Why the findings matter

The report is not a consumer safety alert or a finding that the submarines are unsafe. It concerns readiness and capacity: high-demand Navy platforms are unavailable while maintenance and retirement work compete for limited shipyard resources.

GAO said the Navy’s 44 attack submarines, as of fiscal year 2025, provide intelligence and strike capabilities and are among the assets most requested by combatant commanders. That makes the lost operational days significant beyond the accounting cost.

For taxpayers, the central issue is whether federal funds continue to support crews and vessels during periods when those assets are not delivering operational capability. The next accountability test is whether the Navy evaluates alternative defueling methods, produces a measurable inactivation plan and reports progress on reducing inactive idle time.

Readers should watch for written Navy comments, implementation milestones, changes in dry-dock capacity and any future GAO follow-up. The new report also adds to a longer GAO oversight record showing that attack-submarine maintenance delays have persisted across multiple reviews.

Sources

• GAO report: Navy Readiness — Actions Needed to Address Costly Attack Submarine Maintenance Challenges
• Reuters: Navy submarine maintenance delays cost $3.4 billion, GAO finds

Look for updates to this story

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