US Navy backlogs could leave over a dozen submarines sitting idle for years, costing $3 billion, watchdog says

The USS Pasadena entered idle status in January 2025 but isn't scheduled for decommissioning until November 2028. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Alfred Coffield/Released The Navy's maintenance problems are creating a growing backlog of submarines awaiting decommissioning. 15 subs could spend 14,000 days idle through 2030, costing the Navy more than $3 billion. The GAO says the Navy hasn't fully evaluated options that could reduce the backlog. Severe backlogs could leave over a dozen US Navy attack submarines awaiting decommissioning sitting idle for more than 14,000 days through the end of the decade, and cost the sea service over $3 billion, according to a new watchdog report. Navy maintenance delays have already cost the sea service billions of dollars and sidelined active attack submarines for thousands of operational days, affecting fleet readiness .