General Dynamics Electric Boat, a business unit of General Dynamics, has been awarded a $9.474 billion contract modification option for construction and test of the lead and second ships of the US Navy’s Columbia class, as well as associated design and engineering support.
Electric Boat is the prime contractor on the 12-unit Columbia program, which will replace the aging Ohio class of ballistic missile submarines.
Earlier this year, GDEB also received contract modification for the design completion, engineering work and design support efforts for the Columbia class.
As informed, Electric Boat will perform about 78% of the construction of the Columbia class and recently shifted the program to full-scale construction at the company’s manufacturing complex in Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
Construction of four of the six ‘supermodules’ will take place at Electric Boat’s Quonset Point facility. The supermodules will then be transported by barge to the company’s Final Test and Assembly yard in Groton, Connecticut, where the components will be assembled into a complete submarine in a 200,000 square-foot facility now under construction specifically for the Columbia class.
General Dynamics recently reported that the design maturity for Columbia was almost 90% complete, nearly twice the level of design completion of the lead Virginia-class submarine when it started construction
“Electric Boat has been making preparations for construction of the Columbia class for nearly a decade, including advancing the design of this critical Navy asset, hiring and training thousands of skilled tradespeople, modernizing our facilities and helping to bolster the supply base. As a result, Columbia’s design is more advanced than that of any previous submarine program,” Kevin Graney , president of General Dynamics Electric Boat, pointed out.
Columbia-class submarines
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 life-of-ship fuel core that will power the submarine for its entire service life, eliminating the need for a mid-service refueling.
Back in May 2019, the steel-cutting ceremony was held for Columbia (SSBN 826), the first ballistic missile submarine. Electric Boat will deliver the lead ship to the US Navy in 2027.
Last week, the navy unveiled the name of the second unit – Wisconsin (SSBN 827). It is expected to be delivered in 2028.