GAO Warns Submarine Maintenance Backlogs Cost Navy Billions

The Government Accountability Office reported that severe maintenance backlogs could leave 15 U.S. Navy attack submarines idle for over 14,000 days between fiscal years 2026 and 2030. This projected inactive idle time is expected to cost the Navy more than $3.1 billion.

The report cites the USS Pasadena as a primary example of the crisis; the vessel entered inactive status in January 2025 but will remain on the books until November 2028 due to limited shipyard capacity, incurring costs exceeding $300 million. Over the previous decade, maintenance delays on active submarines already cost the service an estimated $3.4 billion and resulted in the loss of 15,000 operational days.

In response to these readiness failures, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the establishment of a fifth public shipyard. While the Navy is exploring mitigation strategies including floating dry docks and pier-side defueling, the GAO noted that the service lacks detailed feasibility analyses for these options.