Northrop has been awarded a fixed-price contract by the US Navy to provide dry dock continuous maintenance availability for the USS Albany (SSN 753) nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine.

Under the $25m contract, Northrop will provide advance planning, design, engineering, procurement, ship-checks, fabrication and preliminary shipyard work.

The company will also provide all necessary alterations, repairs, maintenance, modernisation and testing required to return the Los Angeles Class submarine to the fleet.

Work on the submarine is expected to be complete by the end of July this year.