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World
Naval Forces News - USA / UK |
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| U.S.
Navy and Royal Navy future SSBNs to get Common Ballistic Missile Compartments
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The
U.S Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $191.3 million
contract modification to continue concept studies, engineering and design
of a Common Missile Compartment for the United Kingdom’s Successor
ballistic-missile submarine and the U.S. Ohio replacement submarine.
Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.
The award modifies a contract announced in December 2008 for engineering,
technical services, concept studies and design of a Common Missile Compartment
for the next-generation ballistic missile submarines under development
for the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy. |
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_missile_hatches.jpg)
A
US Navy SSBN seen with all its missile tubes hatches opened
(picture: US Navy archives)
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If all options are
exercised and funded, the overall contract will have a value of more than
$708 million.
This work will engage Electric Boat’s engineering and design organization,
which comprises more than 3,000 employees. Possessing proven technical
capabilities, these employees work on all facets of the submarine life
cycle from concept formulation and design through construction, maintenance
and modernization, and eventually to inactivation and disposal.
The two future class of SSBNs (one for U.S Navy, one for the Royal Navy)
will reportedly carry just 12 launch tubes each, as opposed to the current
Ohio SSBNs’ 24, or the Vanguard SSBNs’ 16. Each tube will
be widened to about 3 meters for potential flexibility beyond nuclear
missiles such as deployment of cruise missiles, UAV, UUV... |
