The U.S. Navy has selected General Dynamics’ Electric Boat as the prime contractor to design and deliver 12 Ohio-Replacement submarines.
In its Submarine Unified Build Strategy (SUBS), the U.S. Navy has outlined a way to keep the OR programme on schedule without neglecting the Virginia-class construction.
USNI News reported that the U.S. Navy called on Newport News Shipbuilding to take up more work on the Virginia-class so Electric Boat can focus on the new class of submarines.
Navy spokeswoman Capt. Thurraya Kent said: “To execute this strategy, General Dynamics Electric Boat Corporation (GDEB) has been selected as the prime contractor for OR with the responsibilities to design and deliver the twelve OR submarines. Huntington Ingalls Industries- Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) will participate in the design and construct major OR assemblies and modules leveraging their expertise with VCS (Virginia-class submarine) construction.”
The new plan also proposed to continue the construction of two Virginia-class subs per year through at least 2023. This was welcomed by the Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), whose district includes the Electric Boat yard, as the Navy previously called for building only one in 2021.