US and Royal Navy continue work on submarine systems

General Dynamics Mission Systems announced February 2 that the U.S. Navy recently awarded a follow-on, omnibus contract that continues work on fire control systems and subsystems aboard U.S. Navy and United Kingdom’s Royal Navy nuclear ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN).

According to General Dynamics Mission Systems, a division of the American defense and aerospace company General Dynamics, the contract has a total potential value of $440 million over the next seven years.

The company will deliver support and modernization of the existing SSBN strategic weapon system including fire control subsystem installation, maintenance, sustainment, training and repairs to navigation and launch subsystems.

General Dynamics will also develop the fire control system for the U.S Navy’s Ohio Replacement submarine and the Royal Navy’s Successor-class ballistic-missile submarine, and the production of new systems for the Royal Navy’s first-of-class SSBN 09 submarine and Trident Training Facility. Work on the development and sustainment of the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class guided-missile submarine attack weapon control system is also part of the contract.

Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems’ Maritime and Strategic Systems business, said: “Our support for the Navy’s strategic deterrent program spans nearly six decades and forms the very fabric of our business. Continuing the work we have done on existing Ohio SSBN fire control systems, and the development of the fire control system for the Navy’s newest fleet of nuclear submarines, demonstrates our ongoing relationship built on trust, partnership and innovation with the U.S. and U.K. naval forces.”

The omnibus contract is a follow-on to a contract awarded to General Dynamics in December 2014 for the development, production, installation and deployed-systems support of U.S. and U.K. Trident II submarine strategic weapons systems and subsystems. A majority of the work will take place at General Dynamics’ facility in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.