BAE Systems awarded US Navy contract for Virginia-class submarine propulsors
Above: The crew of the pre-commissioning unit (PCU) Idaho (SSN 799) march in formation during a christening ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard facility in Groton, Connecticut (16.03.24). Idaho and crew will operate under Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) FOUR whose primary mission is to provide attack submarines that are ready, willing and able to meet the unique challenges of undersea combat and deployed operations in unforgiving environments across the globe.
Courtesy BAE Systems / US Navy photo by John Narewski
Under this contract, BAE Systems will deliver the Propulsor Forward Assemblies, as well as design engineering support services and support and sustainment hardware.
“During the more than three decades that BAE Systems has manufactured propulsors for the US Navy’s submarine fleet, we have developed significant expertise in the fabrication of complex heavy structures,” said Brent Butcher, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. “We remain committed to building high-quality, reliable submarine structures and systems in support of US Navy shipbuilding requirements and our expert workforce and facilities are prepared to take on additional complex submarine assemblies to strengthen our strategic submarine industrial base.”
The Navy’s submarine force will continue to receive propulsion systems from BAE Systems’ dedicated submarine structures production workforce at its Submarine Center of Excellence in Louisville, Kentucky. The company will also continue to provide engineering and business support from its Minneapolis, Minnesota, facility. To date, BAE Systems has delivered 33 forward assemblies to the US Navy.
BAE Systems is a critical member of the submarine industrial base. With the advanced manufacturing capabilities of its Louisville facility, BAE Systems is also building a heavy propulsor structure for the Columbia-class submarine. The Louisville site also builds the Virginia Payload Module launch tubes, which enable Virginia-Class submarines to fire Tomahawk missiles and future payloads.
