Navy Submarine Maintenance Delays Fell in FY2026

Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher said the Navy recorded about 780 days of submarine maintenance delay in FY2026, a reduction of more than 600 days from each of the two prior fiscal years. He credited investments in Virginia-class spare parts over the preceding years with contributing to the improvement.

Key details

• Gaucher expected delays to fall to around 500 days in FY2027.
• He said every fast-attack submarine at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard was on its revised schedule, with several ahead of schedule.
• The Virginia-class submarines John Warner and Illinois were expected to enter depot maintenance within a few weeks of Gaucher’s remarks.
• An August Government Accountability Office report found that public shipyards completed 11 percent of submarine depot maintenance periods on schedule from FY2016 through FY2025.

The Navy recorded about 780 days of submarine maintenance delay in FY2026, according to Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher.