US Navy awards contract to build and test first two Columbia-class submarines

The US Navy (USN) awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard of Groton, Connecticut, a USD9.5 billion cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification on 5 November to exercise an option for construction and test of the lead and second ships of the Columbia class – Columbia (SSBN 826) and Wisconsin (SSBN 827).

The contract modification also covers associated design and engineering support, the USN noted, and it supports the fiscal year (FY) 2021 construction start of the lead ship, Columbia , and advance procurement, advance construction, co-ordinated material buys, and full construction of the following hull, Wisconsin , in FY 2024.

The award includes USD545.2 million from the National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund (NSBDF) fund and USD19.9 million from the FY 2020 NSBDF fund.

“Columbia is the navy’s number-one acquisition priority programme,” James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research development and acquisition, said in a statement. “Awarding this contract on time is vital to keeping the programme on track.”

In a 7 October report on the Columbia programme, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), pointed out, “Navy officials have stated consistently since September 2013 that the Columbia-class programme is the navy’s top priority programme, and that this means, among other things, that from the navy’s perspective, the Columbia-class programme will be funded, even if that comes at the expense of funding for other navy programmes.”