Severe backlogs could keep more than a dozen U.S. Navy attack submarines idle for more than 14,000 days through the end of this decade awaiting decommissioning, costing the maritime service more than $3 billion, according to a new report from the Watchdog.
Navy maintenance delays have already cost the maritime service billions of dollars and sidelined active attack submarines for thousands of operational days, leaving fleet readiness.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog, states: “Over the past decade, the U.S. Navy has lost more than 15,000 operational days due to maintenance delays and idle time on active ships. attack submarines. These delays resulted in an estimated $3.4 billion in costs to maintain crews and submarines that did not provide operational capability.
Free time for active submarines refers to the period during which a ship is no longer certified to sail, but still requires maintenance. The Navy may still have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars a day for submarines at the pier.
A related backlog for inactive subs is also expected to be a significant cost.
“Without action, 15 attack submarines will be inactive from FY 2026 through FY 2030,” the new GAO report said, “during which time the Navy could be inactive for more than 14,000 days and incur $3.1 billion in costs to operate and support these inactive submarines.”
Public yards are stretched thin for submarine maintenance and repair. Daniel DeAngelis/Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The report cited the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Pasadena as an example. The ship, which entered inactive status on January 1, 2025, will not be decommissioned until November 15, 2028 due to the shipyard’s limited capacity.
The Navy told the GAO that it will use the Pasadena as a training platform while it awaits decommissioning; However, the delay will cost the agency more than $300 million, the GAO said.
The Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines undergo their most extensive maintenance, repairs and decommissioning at four public shipyards, although some at the depot level Work can be done on two private yards. The Navy and shipbuilders are making several attempts to achieve this breathe new life into yardsincluding increasing capacity and investing in the workforce and infrastructure.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump published a executive order directing the Navy and Department of Defense to construct a fifth public dockyard as part of a larger “plan to increase nuclear-powered submarine and aircraft carrier readiness.”
The Navy told the GAO that in the meantime it is considering alternative options, including pumping out the nuclear reactors of attack submarines while the ships are at the pier, rather than waiting until they reach a shipyard. “However, officials were unable to provide documentation of detailed analyzes conducted on the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of this option,” the GAO added.
The Navy is also exploring its use floating dry docks for fuel pumping, but the GAO said this option should also be further explored. Other proposed alternatives include transferring inactive crews to active ships and extending submarine lifespans to avoid decommissioning backlogs, although “these lifespan extensions are still pending approval,” the report said.
