GAO Report Reveals 15,000 Operational Days Lost Due to U.S. Submarine Maintenance Delays
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study has revealed that the U.S. Navy has lost approximately 15,000 operational days for its attack submarines over the past decade due to maintenance delays. These delays have resulted in submarines frequently remaining idle in port instead of being deployed at sea. The GAO report estimates that these delays have cost an estimated $3.4 billion to sustain crews and submarines that provided no operational capability. This includes 'active idle time,' where submarines and their crews are pier-side because they are no longer certified for normal operations and cannot enter a maintenance period. For Los Angeles-class submarines, this active idle time costs nearly $220,000 per day, while for Virginia-class submarines, it exceeds $237,000 per day. The problem is compounded by shipyard delays in decommissioning nuclear submarines, which have incurred $722 million in costs from 2016 to 2025, leading to 'inactive idle time' where boats await dry dock capacity for defueling. 
