Monday, December 15, 2008

General Dynamics to provide $16.8M in Naval weapons launcher support

By Brendan Lynch

General Dynamics Corp.’s Electric Boat subsidiary has landed $16.8 million from the U.S. Navy for services related to the redesign of a submarine-based weapons launcher, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Under the contract, Groton-based Electric Boat will provide engineering support and hardware on the common weapons launcher for use on the SSN 784 VPT submarine. Electric Boat will work on changes to the interfaces to the weapon control and payload tube control panels.

Work on the contract will be performed in Manassas, Va., and is expected to be completed by 2013.

Last month Electric Boat landed $6.2 million from the Navy for work on nuclear submarines. Under that deal, a modification to a previously won contract, Electric Boat will maintain and modernize facilities and equipment on operation nuclear submarines for the Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department. The company will also perform off-hull support of submarine maintenance.

In October, Electric Boat landed $268 million from the U.S. Navy for design services for nuclear-powered attack submarines. Under the contract modification of a previous deal, Electric Boat will maintain and update design drawings and data for all Virginia-class submarines, including technology insertions. In addition, Electric Boat will perform Virginia-class development and design studies.

General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), which employs about 83,500 workers, reported profits of $2.07 billion on $27.2 billion in revenue for 2007.