Naval Technology

Daily Newsletter

20 September 2023

Daily Newsletter

General Dynamics EB secures $517m contract for Virginia-class submarine parts

General Dynamics Electric Boat is to supply initial spare parts for maintenance of the US Navy's submarine fleet.

In a development bolstering the strength of the US Navy's submarine fleet, General Dynamics Electric Boat, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, has been awarded a $517.2m contract to procure and deliver spare parts for Virginia-class attack submarines.

This contract reinforces General Dynamics Electric Boat's commitment to supporting the Navy's operational readiness and safeguarding the nation.

Under this delivery order, Electric Boat will provide spare parts necessary for the maintenance availabilities of the Virginia-class submarines. The work will be done at Electric Boat's Groton and Pawcatuck, Connecticut facilities.

According to GlobalData's "The Global Submarine Market 2023-2033" report, the US Navy plans to acquire up to 66 Virginia-class submarines, with the most recent contract awarding ten more.

Kevin Graney, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat, expressed pride in their ongoing mission, stating, "The shipbuilders of Electric Boat are proud to continue our role providing lifecycle maintenance support to the US Navy's operational submarine fleet in keeping with our mission to provide sailors with the advantage that helps protect our nation."

General Dynamics Electric Boat, headquartered in Groton, Connecticut, specialises in the design, construction, repair, and modernisation of nuclear submarines for the US Navy.

General Dynamics encompasses products and services, including business aviation, ship construction and repair, land combat vehicles, weapons systems, munitions, and technology products and services. The company generated an impressive $39.4bn in revenue in 2022, highlighting its contributions to the defence industry.

This contract underscores the role played by General Dynamics Electric Boat in maintaining the readiness and capabilities of the US Navy's submarine fleet.

The last twelve months have been full of development for the Virginia-class submarine, with various Virginia-class submarines being delivered, commissioned, launched, or laid their keel within the last twelve months.

This year, the Virginia-class submarine Tang (SSN 805) and the USS Arkansas (SSN 800) had their keel laid. The USS Oregon (SSN 793) and the USS Montana (SSN 794) have both been commissioned, and the USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) and the USS New Jersey (SSN 796) have had a variety of being christened, delivered, or launched within the same time.

Emerging threats are reviving interest in advanced materials (AdMs)

Investment in AdMs has remained relatively constant due to its ubiquity in the defense sector, however, the emergence of new applications for AdMs and new threats such as hypersonic weapons are driving a global reevaluation of the importance of AdMs to military modernization efforts. Though demand and development are not proceeding at the same pace across the different value chains in the AdMs market, the wider cross-industry applications for new materials are driving investment and innovations in all relevant fields of expertise, thus ensuring the continued progression of AdMs research to the benefit of all.