Navy’s $128 Billion Nuclear Submarine Project Faces Audit
- Inspector general to audit Columbia class propulsion, steering
- Audit likely to finish as Congress mulls money for first sub
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The Pentagon’s inspector general plans to audit how well the Navy is overseeing development of the propulsion and steering system for its new $128 billion Columbia class of nuclear-armed submarines.
An audit this early in the Navy’s top-priority program -- at least 17 months before construction is scheduled to start on the first of 12 vessels -- signals concern about the potential risks in technology for the sub, which is still mostly in its design phase.