Manufacturing Development Phase News

The Navy awarded a $5.1 billion contract to General Dynamics Electric Boat for Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) of the Columbia Class submarine Sept. 21. The IPPD contract award is for the design, completion, component and technology development and prototyping efforts for the Columbia Class Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs). This work will also include United Kingdom unique efforts related to the common missile compartment. "The Columbia class submarine is the most important acquisition program the Navy has today," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. The contract award follows a successful Milestone B (MS B) approval Jan. 4 2017. MS B formally initiated the Columbia Program entry into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase.

The long range land attack projectile (LRLAP), designed for the DDG 1000 Advanced Gun System, successfully completed two live-fire tests at the White SandsMissile Range in New Mexico, the Navy announced Sept. 22. The mission, conducted Aug. 30, was the first live-fire test to successfully demonstrate LRLAP effectiveness against targets. LRLAP is a 155 millimeter rocket-assisted guided projectile designed to support land-attack and naval surface fire support operations in conjunction with the Advanced Gun System on DDG 1000-class destroyers.