Newport News Shipbuilding and partner General Dynamics Electric Board won a $2.42 billion contract to build a Virginia-class submarine that the Trump administration had wanted to drop.
The contract is in the form of a modification to the 2019 award of a $22 billion contract to build nine Virginia-class submarines. It is for a 10th submarine in the “Block V” program and increases Newport News’ share of that multi-boat contract to $9.8 billion.
Construction on the 10th Block V submarine is expected to begin in early 2024.
Late last year, Congress rebuffed a Trump administration plan to drop a long-planned tenth Block V boat. Congress set a total of $4.6 billion for fiscal 2021 spending on Virginia-class submarines, which includes $2.3 billion above the administration’s request to pay for work on a second submarine.
“We look forward to building and delivering the final boat of the block that maintains production at two submarines per year and continues to stabilize the industrial base,” said Jason Ward, Newport News’ vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction.
Newport News and Electric Boat have teamed up to build and deliver 19 Virginia-class submarines to date.
Under their partnership, Newport News builds the sail, bow, stern, crew quarters and common spaces and some weapons compartments.
The two yards have so far alternated final assembly and delivery of Virginia-class submarines.
But because of the larger share of work assigned to Electric Boat in the two yards’ partnership building Columbia-class ballistic submarines, Newport News is taking on a more Virginia-class sub work.
That increased share means Newport News will deliver six of the 10 Block V boats. More than 4,000 Newport News employees work on Virginia class boats.
“We worked very hard to secure submarine funding in the latest funding bill,” said Sen. Tim Kaine. “This announcement ensures the strength of our submarine fleet and the stability of Newport News’s shipbuilding workforce.”
Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Norfolk, vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said she was proud to work with colleagues to overturn the decision not to build a 10th boat.
“The jobs created by this project will strengthen our local economy while bolstering our national defense infrastructure,” she said.
Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, the ranking Republican on the Seapower subcommittee, said a bipartisan coalition of over 110 House Members worked to full fund this additional attack submarine.
“The Virginia-class submarine brings the strike, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and antisubmarine warfare capabilities needed to prepare for great powers competition,” he said.
