|
Navy Awards Multi-Year Contracts for Nine Flight III Destroyers
The Navy yesterday awarded multi-year construction contracts for nine DDG 51 class destroyers. Three will be built at GD Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, one each in FY 2023, 2024, and 2026. Six will be built at Huntington Ingalls Inc.’s Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss., one in FY 2023, one in FY 2024, two in FY 2025, one in FY 2026, and one in FY 2027.
Both multi-year contracts include options for engineering change proposals, design budgeting requirements, and post-delivery availabilities. They also includes options for the construction of additional DDG 51 class ships. These may be subject to future competition. Therefore, says the Navy, the dollar values associated with the multiyear contracts “are considered source selection sensitive information and will not be made public at this time.”
A NAVSEA statement says the contract options for additional ships over the next five years provide the Navy and Congress flexibility to increase DDG 51 build rates, if authorized and appropriated
The destroyers are being procured in a Flight III configuration, relying on a stable and mature design while delivering critical Integrated Air and Missile Defense capability with the AN/SPY6(V)(1) Air and Missile Defense Radar. The Navy’s first Flight III destroyer, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), was delivered by HII Ingalls in June 2023.
Navy Extends Service Lives of Four Destroyers
Naval Surface Force Atlantic announced this week that the Navy is extending the service lives of four Arleigh Burke destroyers.
USS Ramage (DDG 61), homeported in Norfolk, VA, and USS Benfold (DDG 65), based in Yokosuka, Japan, have been extended by five years to FY 2035 and FY 2036, respectively.
USS Mitscher (DDG 57), also homeported in Norfolk, and USS Milius (DDG 69), homeported out of Yokosuka, have been extended by four years to FY 2034 and FY 2035, respectively.
These extensions follow the March 2023 extension of USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) by five years through FY 2031.The extension puts each destroyer beyond their estimated service life of 35 years.
Smith Issues Interim Marine Corps Guidance as Nomination Hold Drags On
Acting Commandant Gen. Eric Smith this week published a Marine Corps force guidance letter affirming the service will continue on its Force Design 2030 trajectory and outlining accelerated modernization, naval integration and organic mobility as warfighting priorities.
The four-page letter -- which broadly sketches service values and goals, leaving room for a future Commandant’s Planning Guidance -- is intended to serve as an interim “reference point” for the Marine Corps until the Senate confirms an official 39th commandant, the document states.
Smith’s nomination to the post has been stalled by Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) blanket hold on military nominations and promotions over opposition to the Pentagon’s leave and travel reimbursement policies for servicemembers seeking abortion services. In the meantime, Smith is filling both the Marine Corps’ No. 1 and No. 2 positions.
Navy Plans Industry Day on Medium Landing Ships
An industry day will launch Aug. 31 in Washington for vendors to learn about the Navy's plans to build medium landing ships (LSMs).
The goal of the industry day is to discuss LSM requirements with industry members and gather market research, according to a notice published Monday.
Participants are invited to connect with program managers, engineers and directors from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) headquarters. There will be briefings on technical, sustainment and cybersecurity requirements, among other issues, as well as a Q&A session.
The industry day aligns with the Navy’s plans to acquire its first LSM in fiscal year 2025, at a projected cost of $187.9 million.
|