General Dynamics Electric Boat has formally accepted a new floating dry dock designed to support construction of the US Navy’s Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The facility, named Atlas, represents a major infrastructure addition to the navy’s next-generation strategic deterrence program.
The mobile dry dock will be stationed at Electric Boat’s South Yard Assembly Building in Groton, Connecticut, where it will move between production areas to receive submarines for testing and milestone events, including first water contact ceremonies. Developed by Bollinger Shipyards, Atlas was officially christened in October 2025 and is among the largest floating dry docks built for US naval shipbuilding.
Measuring 618 feet in length, 140 feet in width, and 90 feet in height, the dock is tailored to handle the size and complexity of the Columbia-class SSBNs. The submarines are being built under a program launched in 2020 to replace the aging Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines that have formed the backbone of America’s sea-based nuclear deterrent since the Cold War.
General Dynamics is the prime contractor for the Columbia program, which calls for the construction of 12 submarines. The first two boats—USS District of Columbia (SSBN 826) and USS Wisconsin (SSBN 827)—are scheduled to enter service by 2031. In November 2025, the company received an additional $2.28-billion contract to accelerate production of the next five hulls, underscoring the fleet’s central role in US nuclear deterrence strategy.
