$13.8M to Coordinate Maintenance of US Nuclear Submarines in New London, CT
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General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp. in Groton, CT received a $13.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the services required to staff and operate the Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department (NRMD) at SUBASE, New London. The Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department is responsible for project management, engineering and planning, training, inspection and nuclear services to accomplish intermediate-level nuclear submarine maintenance, modernization and repairs in support of operational nuclear submarines including maintaining and modernizing facilities and equipment and providing off-hull support of submarine maintenance.
A couple weeks ago layoffs seemed imminent at Electric Boat for a number of reasons: no new submarine design programs, a build rate of just 0.5 submarines per year, and the withdrawal of submarine maintenance contracts. So we asked GDEB for an explanation of how that last item reconciles with this one, and got an excellent answer from Communications Director Robert Hamilton:
“The $13.8 million contract that you reference is the continuation of a contract that has existed since 2000, and which was counted in our workload projections when we estimated the number of positions that would have to be eliminated this year. As our press release on the issue points out, this contract will keep 22 people working, with “surge” requirements for up to 110 people for a short time. General Dynamics Electric Boat now employs about 11,000 people, and we are diligently seeking to bring as much work as possible into the shipyard to keep as many of them employed as possible.
You also asked for an explanation of the Navy’s “going-forward plans.” For details, I would have to refer you to the Navy, but I can say that our congressional delegation has received a letter from the Navy that Electric Boat will no longer be allowed to compete for depot-level maintenance contracts after the USS Toledo [DID: Los Angeles Class, SSN 769] maintenance period that is currently out to bid. After Toledo, all maintenance contracts will be directed to the public shipyards.”
Work on this NRMD contract will be performed in New London, CT and is expected to be complete by September 2006. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC.
