The Navy on Wednesday issued General Dynamics Electric Boat a $5.1 billion contract modification for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine contract.
The modification is for spare parts, long lead items for missile tubes, making the missile tubes, sustainment work both for Columbia and the United Kingdom’s Dreadnought-class ballistic missile submarine program, and other advanced procurement items, according to the Defense Department’s contract announcements.
“This modification also includes additional Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) enhancements as part of the Integrated Enterprise Plan and multi-program material procurement supporting Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and the nuclear shipbuilding enterprise (Virginia-class and Ford-class). The industrial base development work is for the furtherance of the Navy’s plan of serial production of Columbia and Virginia submarines,” the DoD contract announcement reads.
Electric Boat laid the keel for the future USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) in June. The Groton, Conn.,-based shipyard is already building the first two submarines in the class – District of Columbia and the future USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827).
“The award funds advance procurement and advance construction of critical components and material to support Build II (the next five ships in the class), efforts to support continuous missile tube production, enhancements to develop the Submarine Industrial Base, and sustained class maintenance and support,” GD Electric Boat said in a company news release.
The Columbia-class boats will ultimately replace the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines as the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad.
In November 2020, the Navy issued Electric Boat a $9.47 billion contract modification to start building the lead Columbia-class boat and for advanced work on the second boat, USNI News reported at the time.
