The United States Navy is investing close to $1 billion to improve how its submarines are built, as delays and worker shortages continue to slow down production.
The effort focuses on using automated factories, artificial intelligence, and supply chain support to increase output of Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarines, which are critical to the country’s naval strength.
The Navy is putting about $900 million into automated manufacturing facilities that can produce submarine parts faster and with fewer workers.
A new plant called Factory 4 opened in Cherokee, Alabama, on March 20, 2026. It was built by Hadrian, a company that focuses on advanced manufacturing.
The factory will make parts and systems for both Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines.
Officials said the factory is designed to handle the full process, starting from raw materials and ending with finished components ready for testing. Instead of relying on many different suppliers, the system is built to carry out multiple steps in
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