General Dynamics’ (GD) Electric Boat has been awarded a contract modification by the US Navy to provide long lead-time material for three Virginia-class submarines, including the SSN-793, SSN-794 and SSN-795.
Under the $121.8m contract modification, General Dynamics will provide steam and electrical-plant components, a main propulsion unit and ship-service turbine generator sets for the second fiscal 2014 Virginia-class submarine (SSN 793) and the two fiscal 2015 Virginia-class submarines (SSN 794 and SSN 795).
The company will also provide miscellaneous hull, mechanical and electrical systems components to support construction of the submarines as part of the contract modification, which follows an initially awarded contract in April 2012.
The Virginia-class advanced stealth multimission nuclear-powered submarines can support deep ocean anti-submarine warfare and littoral (shallow water) operations for the navy.
Equipped with 12 vertical missile launch tubes and four 533mm torpedo tubes, the submarines are capable of firing up to 26 mk48 ADCAP mod 6 heavyweight torpedoes and sub harpoon anti-ship missiles from the 21in torpedo tubes.
Additional features of the boats include Northrop Grumman-built AN/WLY-1 acoustic countermeasures system, mast-mounted AN/BLQ-10 electronic support measures (ESM) and Sperry Marine AN/BPS-16(V)4 navigation radar.
The Electric Boat, in partnership with the US Navy, aims to reduce ship costs while retaining capabilities through overall efficiency improvements, decreased ship-construction labours costs and shortened ship-construction cycle times.
Scheduled for completion by September 2014, work under the contract will be carried out in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, Massachusetts, and other efforts will be performed at various sites throughout the US.
The US Naval Sea Systems Command will serve as the contracting activity.
Image: The US Navy’s Virginia (SSN 774) at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Photo: courtesy of US Navy seaman and journalist Andy Zask.
