SECNAV: New Virginia Attack Boat Contracts Still Stalled Over Missile Insurance Issue; Lockheed, Northrop Clear SHypersonic Deal with Navy

Rendering of Block V Virginia-class submarine with Virginia Payload Module. General Dynamics Electric Boat Image

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy and General Dynamics are still at an impasse over an insurance spat that has resulted in the 11-month delay to contracts for two Virginia-class attack submarines, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro told USNI News on Wednesday.

The service and the submarine builder disagree on the share of responsibility in the event of an accident occurring either during...

https://news.usni.org/2023/01/11/secnav-new-virginia-attack-boat-contracts-still-stalled-over-missile-insurance-issue-lockheed-northrop-clear-shypersonic-deal-with-navy

Virginia Attack Boat Program Stalled Over Tomahawk, Hypersonic Missile Insurance Rift

Rendering of Block V Virginia-class submarine with Virginia Payload Module. General Dynamics Electric Boat Image

THE PENTAGON — Advanced procurement contracts for two of the Navy’s Block V Virginia-class attack submarines have been stalled for 10 months due to an impasse between the service and its lead submarine builder over insurance related to Tomahawk missiles and future hypersonic weapons, USNI News has learned.

General Dynamics and the Navy are split over which organization should be...

https://news.usni.org/2022/12/15/virginia-attack-boat-program-stalled-over-tomahawk-hypersonic-missile-insurance-rift

CBO Report on Nuclear Submarine Maintenance

The following is the March 24, 2021 Congressional Budget Office report, The Capacity of the Navy’s Shipyards to Maintain Its Submarines.

From the report

The U.S. Navy’s 70 submarines represent nearly one-quarter of its total fleet. Like all naval ships, those submarines require several periods of intensive maintenance during their service life. Navy policy dictates that most maintenance on nuclear-powered ships (all U.S. submarines are nuclear-powered) be performed by the four shipyards it owns...

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/26/cbo-report-on-nuclear-submarine-maintenance

Submarine Force Changing Training, Acquisition to Focus on Warfare Against Sophisticated Adversary

Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Jacob Thompson, from Cleburne, Texas, initiates a Mark 48 advanced-capability torpedo launch aboard the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN-721) in support of Valiant Shield 2020. US Navy Photo

The submarine fleet has shifted its focus from operational readiness to warfighting readiness, and with that new mindset has come changes in how the fleet conducts training, acquisition and maintenance, several officials said last week.

After a...

https://news.usni.org/2020/11/25/submarine-force-changing-training-acquisition-to-focus-on-warfare-against-sophisticated-adversary

Navy Confident It Could Build 3 Virginia SSNs a Year, Though More Study Needed On Shipyard Capacity

Attack boat Vermont (SSN-792) float-off on March 29, 2019. General Dynamics Electric Boats Photo

The Navy has “full confidence we can ramp up” to building three attack submarines per year if the Navy buildup proposed by former Defense Secretary Mark Esper were to be enacted, despite ongoing delays in Block IV Virginia-class construction, the program executive officer for submarines said today.

Esper’s Battle Force 2045 called for the Navy to reach 70 to 80 attack submarines, and he specifically ca...

https://news.usni.org/2020/11/18/navy-confident-it-could-build-3-virginia-ssns-a-year-though-more-study-needed-on-shipyard-capacity

Navy, Sub Builders Have Recovery Plan to Get Virginia Attack Boat Deliveries Back on Schedule

Sailors aboard to Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Delaware (SSN-791) on Nov. 5, 2019. US Navy Photo

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy and submarine builders General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding are executing a recovery plan to get Block IV Virginia-class submarine production back on track, after the last five submarines in Block III delivered late.

The Virginia-class program had previously been held up as a model of efficient procurement, as the boats were delivering on-cost and...

https://news.usni.org/2019/11/07/navy-sub-builders-have-recovery-plan-to-get-virginia-attack-boat-deliveries-back-on-schedule

Navy Appoints Admiral to Oversee Columbia Sub Effort

Artist’s rendering of the Columbia-class SSBN submarine. US Navy image.

THE PENTAGON – The Navy is standing up a new Program Executive Office for Columbia, pulling the ballistic-missile submarines out of the PEO Submarines portfolio and giving it a one-star admiral who can provide constant focus and leadership as the Columbia program moves from design into construction. 

James Geurts, the Navy’s acquisition chief, told a small group of reporters today that the decision to create a new PEO now...

https://news.usni.org/2019/03/06/navy-standing-peo-columbia-ensure

Navy Wants to Use Virginia Payload Module to Deploy New Missiles, UUVs

Harpoon fired from USS Olympia on July 12, 2018. US Navy Photo

ARLINGTON, Va. – The undersea warfare community wants to boost attack sub lethality by providing new payloads for the Virginia-class SSNs, especially ones that can be leveraged through the Virginia Payload Module missile tubes that will be added to new-construction boats beginning this year.

Program Executive Office for Submarines Executive Director George Drakeley said at the two-day annual Naval Submarine League symposium last week...

https://news.usni.org/2018/11/14/navy-looking-use-virginia-payload-module-deploy-new-missiles-uuvs