US Navy awards contracts for LCS training facility construction

The US Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $240 million indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity design-build multiple award construction contract (IDIQ-MACC) for the construction of littoral combat ship training facilities.

US Navy file photo USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) sailors conducting a foreign objects damage walk-down prior to starting training on the flight deck in Mayport, Florida

The first of five contracts, valued at at $24.7 million, was awarded to Archer Western Federal JV for the P427 Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Operational Trainer Facility (LTF) located at NS Mayport, Florida.

Work for this task order is expected to be completed by January 2021.

“The LTF provides innovative, immersive, virtual reality training for LCS crews which allow them to be better prepared for the operational scenarios they will encounter at sea,” said Commander Littoral Combat Ship Squadron Two Capt. Shawn Johnston. “It is not surprising that many other ship classes will begin to utilize similar high fidelity simulators. This increased LCS training capacity will allow the 14 LCS expected to call Mayport home.”

LCS crew training is based on a virtual ship-centric concept, accomplished through a combination of classroom instruction, vendor training, shore-based trainers and sophisticated virtual reality training systems. The LTF will provide LCS crews with the necessary training and certifications they require prior to deployment.

The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, general building type projects (new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition, and repair work) including industrial, airfield, aircraft hangar, aircraft traffic control, infrastructure, administrative, training, dormitory, and community support facilities.

MACC contracts are used to pre-qualify a group of contractors (usually four to seven) with respect to performance, experience, capability and safety and then issue task orders to them for projects that meet the parameters of the MACC. MACCs save the command and the government time and resources.