Congress' final fiscal year 2024 appropriations package directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a comprehensive review of the Virginia-class submarine program, citing concern over cost and schedule performance for both Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine production. The long-awaited spending bill tasks GAO with assessing the status of block V Virginia construction; the Navy’s plan for contracting block VI boats; the service’s ability to manage concurrent Virginia and Columbia production; its strategy for delivering submarines to Australia under the AUKUS pact;...
