SAN DIEGO, Aug. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- General
Dynamics NASSCO, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was
awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy worth up to $1.6 billion for the construction of the sixth
and seventh ships of the Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program, as
well as an option for ESB 8.
"We are pleased to be building ESB 6 and 7 for our Navy," said
Kevin Graney, president of General
Dynamics NASSCO. "ESBs have proven to be affordable and flexible,
and as the fleet has gained experience with the platform, we have
worked with the Navy and Marines to develop even more capabilities
and mission sets."
The contract, announced by the Department of Defense today,
provides $1.08 billion as a
fixed-price-incentive modification to a previous contract for the
design and construction of the two ships, with an option for the
third that, if exercised, would bring the total cumulative value to
$1.63 billion.
Named after famous names or places of historical significance to
U.S. Marines, ESBs serve as a flexible platform and a key element
in the Navy's airborne mine countermeasures mission, with
accommodations for up to 250 personnel and a large helicopter
flight deck. The ship's configuration supports special warfare and
Marine Corps task-organized units.
Work on the two new ships of the ESB program is scheduled to
begin in the first quarter of 2020 and continue to the second
quarter of 2023, providing the opportunity to sustain and grow the
workforce along San Diego's
working waterfront. NASSCO's unique location along the historic San
Diego Bay provides shipbuilders and skilled tradespeople with
unparalleled access to the nation's leading maritime support
businesses, and highly-trained employees allow NASSCO to build and
repair some of the world's greatest ships in the most efficient
manner possible.
In 2011, the Navy awarded NASSCO with a contract to design and
build the first two ships in the newly created MLP program, the
USNS Montford Point and USNS John Glenn. The program expanded with
three more vessels, the USS Lewis B. Puller, USNS Hershel "Woody"
Williams and the Miguel Keith, configured as ESBs. Following the
delivery of the first four ships to the U.S. Navy, the fifth ship,
the Miguel Keith, is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter
of 2019.
General Dynamics NASSCO is a business unit of General
Dynamics. Headquartered in Falls
Church, Virginia, General Dynamics is a global aerospace and
defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and
services in business aviation; combat vehicles, weapons systems and
munitions; IT services; C4ISR solutions; and shipbuilding and ship
repair. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people
worldwide and generated $36.2 billion
in revenue in 2018. More information about NASSCO is
available at www.nassco.com. More information about General
Dynamics is available at www.generaldynamics.com.
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SOURCE General Dynamics NASSCO