Posted on 01/03/2023 2:31:27 PM PST by MeganC
GROTON, Conn. - General Dynamics Electric Boat announced today the U.S. Navy has awarded a $5.1-billion modification of the previously awarded Columbia Integrated Product and Process Development Contract for the Columbia class of submarines, the nation’s next-generation sea-based strategic deterrent.
Electric Boat is the prime contractor on the Columbia program, which will replace the aging Ohio class ballistic missile submarines. The District of Columbia (SSBN 826) and Wisconsin (SSBN 827) are presently under construction.
The contract modification has a value of $5,134,324,189. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut; Quonset Point, Rhode Island; and Newport News, Virginia; and is expected to be completed by October 2030. The award funds advance procurement and advance construction of critical components and material to support Build II (the next five ships in the class), efforts to support continuous missile tube production, enhancements to develop the Submarine Industrial Base, and sustained class maintenance and support.
“This award enhances Electric Boat’s efforts to maintain the Columbia-class production and delivery schedule. Advance procurement of long lead time materials and component construction is critical to the program, and the strategic investments in the development and expansion of the Submarine Industrial Base will help stabilize and grow the supply chain, which increases manufacturing capacity, reduces risk, and ultimately drives timely delivery of submarines to the Navy,” said Kevin Graney, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat.
At 560 feet long with a displacement of nearly 21,000 tons, the submarines of the Columbia class will be the largest ever built by the United States. Ships of the Columbia class will have a fuel core that will power the submarine for its entire service life, eliminating the need for a mid-service refueling. Electric Boat will deliver the lead ship to the Navy in 2027.
General Dynamics Electric Boat designs, builds, repairs and modernizes nuclear submarines for the U.S. Navy. Headquartered in Groton, Connecticut, the company employs more than 19,000 people. More information about General Dynamics Electric Boat is available at www.gdeb.com.
General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $38.5 billion in revenue in 2021. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.
Thought you might like this so I posted it for you!
Is it solar or wind-powered?
LOL!
Maybe it has sails.
Interesting, I am wondering what tech improvement has occurred that allows for this? I am presuming this is a roughly 50 year service life?
Recycled cooking oil.
Maybe “fuel core” equals battery
Come on man, get with the program. It geothermal powered.
Fifty years would seem about right.
The Hunley propulsion system, hand cranked.
Mid life servicing for a nuke boat (sub or carrier) is traditionally cutting out and replacing the reactor. (I am not a nuke engineer so dont flame me for details). What this article implies is a reactor fuel core that lasts twice as long as its predecessors. That seems like a significant tech leap, and I suppose its possible. Maybe we just dont hear about this since nuke electrical power plant construction in the US has been so taboo for the last 50 years.
The boat named after DC should be renamed IF we’re following the convention of naming SSBNs after states.
I havent heard of any new radioactive ‘fuels’, so what did they do? Just fill it with twice as much radioactive ‘stuff’?
Good old EB. Back in the day we called our green duct tape “EB Green”. They built the boat I was on. SSBN 640. I’d like to walk through the engineering spaces when the first one is done but that’s about it. Is it a boomer or attack boat. Boomers had torpedo tubes in my days. Get rid of the birds then hunt something to shoot. Just another longer slow attack boat. If you could live long enough. Steaming in Rota Spain wasn’t much of a treat either but it beat Nam.
It pains me to say it as an Army man, but there is no more important program for deterrence in our nation than the Ohio class subs so I hope they build the best boats.
Important work like this needs to be taken out of places like Connecticut, and sent South. Too risky up there.
“Aging ohio class”...i remember the news on the launch of the ohio. Now its considered “old”...im feeling old...
Hubby wonders if you have any comment on this. He said you “wrote the book” re Trident, EB, etc.
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