GD Electric Boat starts building new facility for Columbia-class submarines

On September 13, 2019, General Dynamics Electric Boat marked the groundbreaking of a new facility at the company’s Groton shipyard dedicated to construction of the Columbia class of submarines.

Source: General Dynamics Electric Boat

“This expansion will be the largest construction project to take place at EB’s Groton shipyard in more than 45 years,” Jeffrey Geiger, President, General Dynamics Electric Boat, said.

“The facility we break ground on today (Sept. 13) will enable Electric Boat to deliver the U.S. Navy’s number-one acquisition priority—the Columbia class—our nation’s next-generation fleet of ballistic missile submarines.”

The South Yard Assembly Building (SYAB), a 200,000 square-foot building, is to be built on seven acres at the abovementioned shipyard.

As explained, the SYAB is the centerpiece of an $850 million expansion at the Groton Shipyard. The company will also expand and update other manufacturing spaces and build a floating dry dock to launch Columbia submarines.

In total, Electric Boat will invest more than $1.7 billion to modernize and upgrade its facilities over the next decade. In addition to the facilities in Groton, the company is investing $700 million at its location in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. Last week, the company announced it had completed construction of a facility at Quonset Point to support construction of a payload module to expand length, capability and capacity of Virginia class fast-attack submarines.

The investments in facilities are part of a broad company effort to respond to the expanded needs of the US Navy. Electric Boat said it has worked with its national network of suppliers to prepare for the 2.5 times increase in need for supplies and materials to concurrently build the Columbia and Virginia classes.