# Navy Reduces Submarine Maintenance Delays

The U.S. Navy reports submarine maintenance delays fell to 780 days in FY26, down from roughly 1,400 days in each of FY24 and FY25—a reduction of more than 40 percent. The Navy’s submarine portfolio manager attributes the improvement to investment in Virginia-class spare parts and expects delays to fall to about 500 days in FY27. However, GAO data show only 11 percent of submarine depot periods were completed on schedule during FY16–25, underscoring persistent shipyard capacity and execution challenges for the submarine sustainment base.

- Contractors supporting Virginia-class sustainment can evaluate their parts and maintenance capabilities against the Navy’s stated investment focus and projected FY27 reduction in delays.
- Shipyard maintenance providers should account for the continuing schedule-performance gap when assessing capacity, workforce, and delivery plans; the GAO figure indicates that improved delay totals have not yet meant consistently on-time depot periods.
- The signal identifies a sustainment trend, not a specific solicitation or contract award, so it does not establish a new procurement deadline or funding amount.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** November 13, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Navy (Navy)
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

### Key Quotes
> I want to highlight the significant reduction in days of maintenance delay.
> — Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher, Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Submarines

### Sources
- [Submarine maintenance delays saw 'significant' improvements in FY26, sub czar says - Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/11/submarine-maintenance-delays-saw-significant-improvements-in-fy26-sub-czar-says) - Breaking Defense