BAE Systems has secured a $149.8 million US Navy contract to carry out maintenance and modernisation work on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, according to the company.
The firm-fixed-price Selected Restricted Availability contract covers what BAE described as critical modernisation, maintenance and repair work on the ship at Naval Base San Diego. The contract could ultimately be worth as much as $180 million if all available options are exercised.
USS Boxer, designated LHD 4, is one of the US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ships. The vessels form part of the Navy’s amphibious force and are designed to support the movement and operation of Marines, aircraft and landing forces.
Eric Icke, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Maritime Solutions San Diego, said: “Critical maintenance of the USS Boxer will support the U.S. Navy’s vital mission to continue defending our nation.”
He added: “I look forward to our highly skilled team delivering unmatched capacity, precision, and performance for our customer.”
The work will be carried out through BAE Systems’ San Diego ship repair operation, one of three full-service US shipyards run by the company alongside facilities in Florida and Virginia. BAE Systems provides ship repair, maintenance, modernisation, conversion and overhaul services to the US Navy and other government customers, as well as commercial operators.
Its American shipyard network includes dry docks, shiplifts, land-level repair facilities and pier space used to support major maintenance periods on US Navy vessels. The latest Boxer contract continues that work in San Diego, with the ship due to undergo a package of repairs and upgrades under the Navy’s Selected Restricted Availability programme.
Have never comprehended why DoD/USN and/or HII and GDEB have never explored BAES participation in USN SSN/SSGN/SSBN CONUS based maintenance/refit program. Security issues NA post-AUKUS initiation. Workforce constraints are an obvious short-term issue, but would be ameliorated over a reasonable timeframe. NIH policy obviously operative, however, need not be ascendent in perpetuity. Dunno, would seem an intuitively obvious measure … 🤔🙄
Hi Mate, Babcock here in Rosyth are making parts for the Virginia as well as the Columbia class. I’m not sure if BAES at Barrow where the Astutes and Dreadnaughts are being built, provide any parts?
Look on Google Earth. The BAE-owned yards aren’t in very good locations for this kind of work. You would want to conceal the propulsor (the big can shaped thing that acts as the propeller housing these days). That is highly classified because its shape could tell an enemy something about the sub’s acoustic signature. There are potentially other things you would want to conceal as well. You also need access to power to maintain the reactor.
BAE’s yard at Norfolk tends to use Drydocks to pull the boats out of the water, and there are a lot of roads that have visibility to what’s going on there. BAE’s yard in Jacksonville puts the boats up on dry land, but there’s nothing hiding the ship from prying eyes there as well. These just aren’t good dockyards for maintaining a submarine that we’re trying to hide from prying eyes (and camera phones).
I don’t why, but I always think that the Wasp class looks really narrow, even though the specs say different. The new Italian Trieste, looks like it has a wider flight deck, but its actually narrower than the Wasp’s. Pity our amphibious capability doesn’t include a Trieste like helicopter carrier (LHD).
Unfortunately we sold hms ocean should have kept it
I know it’s probably a forlorn hope. But I’d like to see the Navy get a couple of Trieste like ships..
Yup bulwark sold albion probably on the scrap heap all three services and marines are getting a battering