A contract for the fire control system for the US Columbia class and UK Dreadnought class common missile compartment was listed by the US Department of Defense.
The contract notice states:
“General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was awarded $8,790,600 for cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification P00013 under a previously awarded contract (N00030-16-C-0005), for sustainment of the U.S. and UK SSBN fire control system and the U.S. SSGN attack weapon control system (AWCS) to include training and support equipment. Also included is missile fire control for the U.S. Columbia-class and UK Dreadnought-class common missile compartment program development, through first unit UK production, and strategic weapon interface simulator.
Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (90.5 percent); Bremerton, Washington, (3.6 percent); Kings Bay, Georgia (2.7 percent); Dahlgren, Virginia (1.0 percent); Cape Canaveral, Florida (0.9 percent); Portsmouth, Virginia (0.9 percent); and the United Kingdom (0.4 percent), with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2023.
Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,400,593 and 2017 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,390,007 are being obligated on this award. Funds in the amount of $5,400,593 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.”
Defence contractor Babcock International previously secured an £80m order to make part of the missile launch tubes for submarines and is likely to continue this work. The 22 tube assemblies will require 150 workers at Rosyth in Fife and Bristol. The contract was awarded to Babcock by US defence contractor General Dynamics Electric Boat.
A joint US/UK programme ? The UK is to do 0.4% of the manufacturing !
If only it was paying 0.4% of the price.