📋 Tender Overview
ScopeColumbia-class ballistic missile submarines SSBNs are being constructed by General Dynamic subsidiary Electric Boat for the US Navy in collaboration with Newport News Shipbuilding. Newport News Shipbuilding cut the first steel plate for the lead submarine in class Columbia SSBN 826 in May 2019. The boat is scheduled to be delivered in 2027. The US Navy is expected to receive 12 Columbia-class submarines which will replace its Ohio-class submarines. The new submarines will support the US strategic deterrent mission as the SSBN fleet of the US Navy carries 70 of the nations operational nuclear weapons. Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines will feature X-shaped stern control surfaces and sail-mounted dive planes. The hull will be covered with an anechoic coating. The missile compartment will integrate four factory-made missile tubes equipped with a quad pack each. It will be built and assembled in parallel with the hull and integrated into the hull along with decks other equipment and systems. Each submarine will measure 170.7m-long and will have a diameter of 13.1m. The submerged displacement of the boat will be 20810t. Each submarine will be installed with 16 missile tubes for launching 16 Trident II D5 LE submarine-launched ballistic missiles SLBM. Powered by three solid-fuel rocket motors the three-stage missile can carry up to 14 multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles with W88 or W76 thermonuclear warheads to a distance of 12000km. The US Navy placed a 5bn detailed design contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat for the Columbia-class submarine programme in September 2017. General Dynamics Electric Boat awarded a 468m subcontract to Newport News Shipbuilding to support the construction of the submarines in December 2017. Newport News Shipbuilding is responsible for engineering analysis development of components detail planning and technical services. Electric Boat acts as the prime contractor for the submarine programme with 80 of the work being performed by Electric Boat and the remaining 20 being delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding. The two shipbuilders will engage multiple vendors and suppliers to perform the work.
