Leonardo DRS has secured a $45m investment from the US Navy Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) to expand its naval propulsion manufacturing facility in Goose Creek, South Carolina.
This financial commitment, received through contracts with HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding, will support a 40,000ft² expansion of the company’s new facility which spans 140,000ft².
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The facility is under construction and will produce components for US Navy nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers.
The investment is also expected to facilitate the acquisition of capital equipment and other infrastructure improvements necessary for the facility’s growth.
Expected to commence operations in 2026, the purpose-built facility is set to bolster Leonardo DRS’s capabilities in naval propulsion, streamlining its contributions to the US Navy’s Columbia-class submarine programme.
Leonardo DRS Naval Power Systems business unit senior vice-president and general manager Jon Miller said: “This significant investment is the result of extensive collaboration between Leonardo DRS, the US Navy, and our shipbuilding customers.
“It signifies the depth of our combined resolve to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our nation’s submarine industrial base with respect to capacity needed to deliver critical capability on-time and on-budget for the warfighter.”
Currently, Leonardo DRS is involved in producing electric propulsion system components for the Columbia-class submarines, including the main propulsion motor, drives, and controller.
These systems are also being provided to international allied navies.
The Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) building programme is a collaborative effort between General Dynamics subsidiary Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding.
The first steel for the lead vessel, Columbia (SSBN 826), was cut in May 2019.
According to Leonardo DRS, the latest move builds upon several Navy-funded engineering contracts previously awarded to the company from both Newport News Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat.
These contracts, in conjunction with internal funding, aim to strengthen the company’s steam turbine system design, manufacturing, integration, and testing capabilities, including steam turbine generators.
In 2024, Leonardo DRS committed to a $120m ground lease in Charleston, South Carolina, to develop a dedicated facility for manufacturing naval propulsion systems for the US Navy.
