Great Britain has awarded two contracts worth a combined $3.2 billion to BAE Systems for work on the country's submarine programs, U.K. Secretary for Defense Gavin Williamson said.
The country awarded BAE with a roughly $2 billion contract for the delivery of a submarine named Agincourt, the seventh and final vessel in the Astute class. The remaining $1.2 billion total is part of another contract for the development of the Navy's Dreadnought submarine program.
"This multi-billion-pound investment in our nuclear submarines shows our unwavering commitment to keeping the UK safe and secure from intensifying threats," Williamson said in a statement published in a BAE news release. "HMS Agincourt will complete the Royal Navy's seven-strong fleet of hunter-killer attack subs, the most powerful to ever enter British service, whilst our nuclear deterrent is the ultimate defense against the most extreme dangers we could possibly face."
Three nuclear-powered, Astute-class attack submarines are already active with the Royal Navy. Four Dreadnought submarines, on which construction began in 2016, will replace the military's four-submarine Vanguard program. A joint team created by the U.K. Ministry of Defense, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce will deliver the subs, which will be about 504 feet long.
The Vanguard program, analogous to the U.S. Navy's Ohio-class submarines, consists of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. Dreadnought submarines are expected to replace the Vanguard vessels starting in the late 2020s and early 2030s.
The U.S. Navy is also working to replace Ohio-class submarines with future Columbia-class vessels.
Boston Ship Repair tapped for services on USNS Patuxent
Washington (UPI) May 15, 2018 –
Boston Ship Repair was awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy for services on the USNS Patuxent, a Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler.
The deal, announced Monday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more $16.1 million under the terms of a firm-fixed-price contract.
The contract award from the Navy's Military Sealift Command enables Boston Ship Repair to provide a range of services on the ship, which is designed to replenish other naval ships with critical deployment stock such as fuel, food and other amenities without the ship having to pull into port to resupply.
The contract award has built in options that could see its overall cumulative value surge to more than $18 million if exercised.
Work on the contract will occur in Boston, Mass., and is expected to begin regular overhaul dry docking on July 2018. The period of performance will occur until September 2018, according to the Pentagon.
The total cumulative value without options exercised will be obligated to Boston Ship Repair at the time of award.
The obligated funds will be allocated from Navy fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year in September.
