General Dynamics subsidiary to build ninth Navy oiler

A subsidiary of Reston-based General Dynamics Corp. has received a $736 million contract modification for detail design and construction of the ninth replenishment oiler in the Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet, the Pentagon announced Monday.

San Diego-based National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. is expected to begin construction of T-AO 213 in the third quarter of 2025. The exercised option brings the total contract value up to about $5.5 billion, the company said in a news release. Work is expected to be completed by March 2028.

“NASSCO is proud of our ongoing dedication to deliver these ships to the fleet,” Dave Carver, president of General Dynamics NASSCO, said in a statement. “We are committed to working with our Navy partners to ensure the continued success of the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program.”

The Navy awarded the subsidiary a contract to design and build the first six ships in 2016. The 742-foot vessels fuel Navy carrier strike groups at sea and have the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil. The first ship, the future USNS John Lewis, was delivered to the Navy last year, and an additional five are under construction. The Pentagon announced an $890 million contract modification green lighting construction for the seventh and eighth ships in the John Lewis-class in August 2022.

General Dynamics on Tuesday received an additional $1.1 billion from the Navy to continue building Virginia-class submarines.