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Naval Sea Systems Command News

14 Mar 2024

Conrad to Build Another US Navy Berthing Barge

(File photo: Conrad Shipyard)

U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has exercised an option with Conrad Shipyard to build another Yard, Repair, Berthing, and Messing (YRBM) barge.The award is a $18,484,619 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract for the detail design and construction and  includes exercise of a design changes option.Work will be performed in Amelia, La., and is expected to be completed by June 2025. The new barge will be delivered to Norfolk, Va.The YRBM barge is an ABS A1 Accommodation Barge with a 151’-4” x 49’-4” x 14’ footprint.

15 Jan 2024

US SECNAV Directs Naval Shipbuilding Review

File photo: Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro (Photo: Office of the Secretary of the Navy)

The United States' Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro is directing a comprehensive analysis of the Navy shipbuilding portfolio amid ongoing labor issues and supply chain shortages that have negatively impacted vessel delivery timelines.Del Toro tasked newly-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition (ASN RD&A) Nickolas Guertin and Commander Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Adm. James Downey to conduct the analysis, with an interim progress…

28 Aug 2023

US Navy Awards Leidos Unmanned Vessels Contract

The unmanned surface vessel Ranger transits the Pacific Ocean to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

Tech company Leidos was recently awarded a new task order by Naval Sea Systems Command to manage, operate and maintain the U.S. Navy’s Overlord and medium unmanned surface vessels (USVs). The single-award task order has a one-year base period of performance and two one-year options. The task order has a maximum value of approximately $95 million if all options are exercised.“Leidos is leading a new era of naval operations,” said Gerry Fasano, Leidos Defense Group president. “The Leidos team has unmatched experience and expertise in autonomous vessel design and operations…

23 Aug 2023

Silver Ships Delivers First Vessel Under NSW SSC Contract

(Photo: Silver Ships)

Silver Ships recently completed the first deliveries under the Naval Sea Systems Command of seven 11-meter Open Center Console (OCC) vessels and two 8-meter Open Center Console (OCC) vessels, under the Naval Special Warfare Surface Support Craft Contract. The U.S. Navy has also conducted Pre-Delivery Inspection and Testing (PDIT) of three vessel variants included in the contract.The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Surface Support Craft (SSC) contract entails construction of five different vessel variants of the Ambar series rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB).

08 Jun 2023

America's Sea Services Building Large Fleet of Small Ships and Craft

U.S. Navy Sailors aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48), moor a landing craft, utility during amphibious operations, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, in March 2023. (Photo: Christopher R. Lape / U.S. Marine Corps)

Not every vessel in the U.S. Navy is built for major combat operations on the high seas. There are large numbers of boats and service craft that provide essential services to the sea services, the nation and its partners.The U.S. Navy procures about 100 small boats per year. Some of these boats are based on commercial designs, procured to a Navy developed specification that tailors the requirements to the end user needs. They are procured and managed by two Naval Sea Systems Command program offices—PMS 300 and PMS 325.Compared to warships and auxiliaries…

26 Jan 2023

3D Printing: Navy Builds Up Additive Manufacturing on Ships

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) onloads a 3D printer during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 8, 2022.  
U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ace Rheaume

The U.S. Navy has long valued the potential of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing.AM refers to the depositing of material layer by layer to create an object. For the Navy, it’s not practical to carry every replacement part for every system on a ship, and it can be difficult to forecast if or when parts will fail. AM provides a flexible source of supply in being able to make parts instead of ordering them and waiting for them to arrive, especially for warships at the far end of the supply chain.

28 Dec 2022

Ex-USS Denver Served Until Sunk

Amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver (LPD 9) operates in the Philippine Sea in 2012. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lacordrick Wilson/Released)

Explosive charges aboard the ship enabled battle damage assessment (BDA) teams to respond to actual damageThe former Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Denver (LPD 9) was sunk in a blaze of glory as a target ship during the recent Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2022. The 9,600-ton, 561-foot Denver, which was commissioned in 1968 and served until being retired in 2014, had been stored with other inactive ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, before being sunk about 50 miles north of Kauai in about 15…

15 Dec 2022

U.S. Navy: Building the Architecture Framework for New Guided Missile Frigates

An artist’s rendering of the new Constellation (FFG 62)-class guided-missile frigate. Marinette Marine Illustration. (U.S. Navy Photo/Released)

“If we desire to secure peace,” President George Washington once observed, “it must be known that we are at all times ready for war.” During the late 1790s, the U.S. government commissioned naval engineers and shipbuilders to design and build large warships capable of agile maneuvering and stowing an excess amount of weapons.With the passing of the Naval Act of 1794, Washington secured the authorization to procure the Navy’s first six frigates – a wooden-hulled, three-masted warship with either a 38 or 44-gun capability.

28 Sep 2022

Phoenix Wins $112 Million Navy Contract

File photo: Derek Harkins / U.S. Navy)

Phoenix International Holdings Inc. announced it has been awarded a $112 million cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for worldwide undersea deep ocean search and recovery operations and engineering and technical support to the U.S. Navy Director of Ocean Engineering, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV). Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed in September 2027.Commenting on the award, Phoenix President Patrick Keenan stated, “Phoenix has a long history of providing undersea operations services to the U.S.

22 Aug 2022

US Navy Recovers Lost Fighter Jet from the Bottom of the Mediterranean Sea

(File photo: John Paul Kotara II / U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy said it has retrieved a fighter jet that was lost from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea last month.The F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft, which blew off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) in "unexpected heavy weather" on July 8, was recovered by a team from Task Force (CTF) 68, Naval Sea Systems Command's Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), Harry S. Truman, Naval Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic, and U.S. Sixth Fleet embarked on the multi-purpose…

03 May 2022

Viega Fittings Get Additional U.S. Navy Approval

Credit: Viega

Viega, the first press fitting system to meet the standard for use on Navy combat ships, has won approval for additional components to be used onboard. Last year, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) approved the use of MegaPress® CuNi press fittings in sizes ½" to 2" to be used in surface combatant vessels for a variety of systems, including chilled water, potable water, electronic freshwater cooling, seawater cooling, washdown countermeasures, drainage and many others. ProPress copper ½" fittings were also approved for potable water and various drains.

28 Mar 2022

Metal Shark Awarded $36 Million Patrol Boat Deal

(File photo: Metal Shark)

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has been awarded a contract  to establish fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2023 pricing for Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs) seven through 10, and accompanying outfitting, testing, spares, tools, travel, reactivation, crew familiarization, exportation and transportation, the U.S. Department of Defense announced.Awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, the deal is a $36,195,438 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite…

21 Feb 2022

Gibbs & Cox Wins Navy Deal Worth Up to $319 Million

DDG(X) concept from (Image: Program Executive Office Ships (PEO Ships))

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Gibbs & Cox Inc. has won a contract to support surface combatant ship design and engineering efforts for the U.S. Navy’s Future Surface Combatant Force, the Pentagon announced.Under the deal, Gibbs & Cox will primarily support of the DDG(X) program, as well as other emerging ship concepts, and it will also conduct feasibility studies as part of supporting the broader Navy fleet.The $29,561,327 cost-plus-award-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command and includes options which…

04 Feb 2022

NSWC Dahlgren's Berry Awarded Prestigious Commendation Medal

The Department of Navy selects Branch Head Jillian Berry from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division as the 2022 award recipient for the prestigious Civilian Service Commendation Medal. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

It takes determined leadership to bring a culture of innovation to large and historic institutions like the U.S. Navy. Regarded as a successful leader in electromagnetic systems certification at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), Jillian Berry is passionate about her work, displaying a high level of expertise everyday on the job.The Department of Navy selected Berry as the 2022 recipient for the prestigious Civilian Service Commendation Medal (CSCM) in recognition of her exceptional work…

07 Oct 2021

Silver Ships Wins $8.2 Million Order for Navy and Coast Guard Boats

(Image: Silver Ships)

Aluminum workboat builder Silver Ships, Inc. said it was awarded an $8.2 million delivery order as a result of being awarded a firm-fixed-price indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) single award contract by the Naval Sea Systems Command for the construction and delivery of up to 110 Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Surface Support Craft (SSC) and U.S. Coast Guard Special Purpose Craft, Law Enforcement (SPC-LE) vessels, in addition to other accessories, parts and training.

13 Sep 2021

US Navy Awards Shipyard Modernization Contract

FILE PHOTO: USS Nimitz (CVN 68) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Wash. (Photo: Thiep Van Nguyen II / PSNS & IMF)

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $500-million design contract for the modernization of two of its shipyards in Hawaii and Washington.The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architecture-engineering contract awarded to Honolulu, Hawaii-based WSM Pacific SIOP by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) on September 7 is for structural and waterfront-related projects at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) in Hawaii and Puget…

23 Aug 2021

Amphibious Transport Dock Ship Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) Christened

Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson, LPD 28 Prospective Commanding Officer Capt. James Quaresimo and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis watch as ship sponsor Meredith Berger officially christens amphibious transport dock Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). (Photo: Derek Fountain / HII)

Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened amphibious transport dock Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the christening was livestreamed, and a small socially distanced event was held with limited in-person attendance.“Shipbuilding is about teamwork and bringing together the most intellectually and physically challenging efforts we can imagine for a common purpose,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “We each leverage our essential and unique abilities to estimate…

16 Aug 2021

NAVFAC Awards $1.7B Drydock Construction Project

"We look forward to getting this critical construction mega-project underway," said Rear Adm. John Korka, commander, NAVFAC, and Navy chief of Civil Engineers.  "This project -- and other work being planned at all four of our naval shipyards -- is one of the most significant and direct contributions that our systems command team can make to enable our Navy’s lethality and maximize its readiness for many years to come." Image courtesy NAVFAC

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) awarded a $1.7-billion construction project, an effort toexpand and reconfigure a dry dock complex at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery, Maine, to increase the shipyard's capacity to maintain, modernize, and repair the Navy's attack submarines and return them to the fleet on time.The seven-year project, part of the Navy's comprehensive Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), will construct an addition to Dry Dock 1 within the existing flood basin area…

16 Jun 2021

Bollinger Wins Preliminary Design Contract for US Navy’s Light Amphibious Warship

Bollinger Shipyards announced on Wednesday that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command to conduct a concept study and the preliminary design of the U.S. Navy’s Light Amphibious Warship (LAW).The LAW program envisions procuring a class of 28 to 30 new amphibious ships to support the Marine Corps, particularly in implementing a new Marine Corps operational concept called Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). The Navy envisions the first LAW being procured in FY2023.“Bollinger Shipyards is honored and excited to continue participating in the LAW program,” said Bollinger president and CEO Ben Bordelon.

01 Jul 2021

Lake Assault Boats Expands on US East Coast

From left to right: Ed Hennessey, Justin Owens, Jimmy Lossee, Gaston Saada, Ralph Capotosto, Joe Kotapish, Sarah Busch and Smokey Glover. (Photo: Lake Assault Boats)

Superior, Wis.based patrol, fire and rescue craft builder Lake Assault Boats has opened a 14,800 sq. ft. repair, service and maintenance facility in Portsmouth, Va. Marine industry veteran, Smokey Glover, along with his team of five highly regarded and experienced technicians (all formerly with Willard Marine) will lead and support the operation.The full-service operation will focus on repair, overhaul and maintenance services. The team can be dispatched on an as-needed basis to locations anywhere around the globe.“We are beyond excited to add a large and well-equipped hub facility…

01 Jul 2021

Interview: Chris Deegan, President & Chief Executive, Gibbs & Cox

Chris Deegan (Photo: Gibbs & Cox)

In 1985, Chris Deegan was hired out of Penn State as a nuclear submarine cost estimator by the Naval Sea Systems Command and retired nearly 28 years later as the Executive Director of PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, with the last 10 as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He’s been with Gibbs & Cox since 2013, first as the Vice President of Engineering, and as President and Chief Executive since 2016.Please give a “by the numbers” look at Gibbs & Cox today.Since our founding in 1929…

10 Aug 2021

Video: USS Gerald R. Ford Completes Shock Trials

Shock trials are designed to demonstrate ships’ ability to withstand the effects of nearby underwater explosion and retain required capability. (Photo: Jackson Adkins / U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy's new aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on Monday underwent its third explosive event off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., rounding out the ship’s Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST) and validating its shock hardness and ability to sustain operations in a simulated combat environment using live ordnance. During the four-month testing evolution, the first-in-class aircraft carrier withstood the impact of three 40,000-pound underwater blasts, released at distances…

04 Aug 2021

Brian Cuccias Receives Navy League’s Nimitz Award

Brian Cuccias, retired president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. Photo courtesy HII

Brian Cuccias, the retired president of Huntington Ingalls Industries' (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division, accepted the Navy League of the United States' Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award today. The Navy League presented the award at the annual Sea-Air-Space exposition in National Harbor, Maryland.The Nimitz award honors an industry leader who has made a major contribution to the nation's maritime strength or enhanced national security. The award committee, appointed by the national president of the Navy League…