The U.S. Dept. of Defense issued a $1.06-billion contract modification to General Dynamics Electric Boat for acquisition of long-lead materials related to production of the Virginia-class Block VI submarines. The initial October 2023 contract was valued at $2.2 billion, and modified in August 2024 with a further $1.3 billion.
The contract is due to be completed by September 2035, with the largest portion of the work to be completed in Sunnyvale, Calif. Sites in 10 other states are also set to contribute.
Virginia-class subs are fast-attack, missile-armed vessels designed for anti-submarine warfare and intelligence gathering operations. The program has been underway for over two decades, and the U.S. Navy anticipates they will replace the Los Angeles-class subs over the coming decades.
The Block VI series, anticipated to cover nine or 10 vessels, will introduce a series of new warfare capabilities, including hypersonic weapon technologies, enhanced stealth capabilities for undersea warfare, and abilities to launch and recover undersea drones.
Reports suggest the new Block VI series also will offer advanced undersea data networking systems for real-time information sharing with air, surface, and land platforms.
General Dynamics Electric Boat is the program’s prime contractor and lead design yard, which also builds the vessels in a teaming arrangement with Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding.
"This contract modification drives continuation of the crucial demand signal that the submarine industrial base needs to invest in the capacity and materials required to increase production volume," stated Mark Rayha, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat. "Consistent funding for the supply base is essential to achieve the high-rate production the Navy requires of the entire submarine enterprise."
