BAE Systems has been awarded an additional $11.5m contract to produce a ‘sequence critical heavy structure’ for the US Navy’s newest Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine.
This order is an extension of the $72m contract secured by BAE Systems in 2023 for manufacturing parts for the same class of submarines.
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The manufacturing of the submarine component will take place at the company’s facility in Louisville, Kentucky.
The site is used in various manufacturing processes including integrated fabrication, welding, machining, testing, and outfitting of complex naval structures and systems.
Additionally, BAE Systems’ shipyard in Jacksonville, Florida also plays a role in fabricating components for the Columbia-class submarine.
BAE Systems Submarine Programs for Platforms & Services director Charles Lewis said: “The award is a testament to the hard-working, highly-skilled employees in Louisville, who manufacture complex submarine structures and our engineering expertise in Minneapolis.
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By GlobalData“Our personnel and facilities have the deep specialised capability and experience needed to support submarine and maritime industrial construction. We look forward to carrying on our commitment to meeting the production needs of these national security assets that keep our Sailors safe.”
In recent years, BAE Systems has made substantial investments exceeding $250m to bolster its submarine construction infrastructure and capabilities.
General Dynamics’ subsidiary Electric Boat, in partnership with Newport News Shipbuilding, is responsible for the construction of the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) for the US Navy.
The submarines will measure 170.7 metres (m) in length with a 13.1m diameter, and a submerged displacement of 20,810 tonnes.
The vessels will feature X-shaped stern control surfaces and sail-mounted dive planes, with the hull being coated with an anechoic layer to reduce detectability.
The missile compartment of these submarines will incorporate four factory-made missile tubes, each equipped with a quad pack.
In 2024, Newport News Shipbuilding delivered the stern section of the first boat, the USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), to General Dynamics Electric Boat at their Quonset Point, Rhode Island facility.
