The Navy today announced its decision to inactivate Los Angeles-class attack submarine Boise (SSN-764), scrapping a long-delayed maintenance overhaul and rolling associated funding and personnel into new submarine construction.

Boise has been sidelined for nearly a decade, awaiting an availability originally planned for Naval Station Norfolk that was repeatedly postponed by maintenance backlogs. In 2024, HII was awarded a $1.2 billion contract to begin the overhaul at its Newport News shipyard, with work expected to conclude in 2029.

In today’s announcement, the Navy said its decision to retire Boise is part of a larger plan to optimize fleet composition and ensure effective resource allocation.

"After a rigorous, data-driven analysis, we've made the tough but necessary decision to inactivate the USS Boise,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said in a statement. “This strategic move allows us to reallocate America’s highly-skilled workforce to our highest priorities: delivering new Virginia and Columbia-class submarines and improving the readiness of the current fleet. We owe it to our Sailors and the nation to make these tough calls to build a more capable and ready Navy.”

The Navy and its shipbuilding industrial base are struggling to reach a production target of one Columbia and two or more Virginia boats per year amid challenges including supply chain bottlenecks and widespread workforce shortages.

The service is also working to lift operational readiness for its attack submarine fleet to 80%. Current attack submarine readiness sits at 62% officials told Congress last month, marking a decline compared to the 67% figure listed last year.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget request seeks over $65 billion for shipbuilding, with roughly $11.4 billion for two new Virginia boats and $10.5 billion for a single Columbia vessel. The budget also requests $316 million for SSN(X) next-generation attack submarine development and $1.85 billion for industrial base support.