General Dynamics subsidiary wins $2.3B Columbia-class subs award

General Dynamics Electric Boat, the Connecticut subsidiary of Reston-based Fortune 500 defense contractor General Dynamics, has been awarded a $2.28 billion contract modification from the U.S. Navy for advance procurement and construction of Columbia-class fleet ballistic missile submarine hulls.

The Department of Defense (currently being rebranded the Department of War by the Trump administration) announced this week that the contract, awarded on Nov. 12, will require the General Dynamics subsidiary to work on SSBN hulls 828 through 832.

The company will perform 15% of the work in Newport News, 70% of the work in Groton, Connecticut, and the remaining 15% in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. Work is expected to wrap up by December 2031.

About $2.23 billion will come from the National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund, while $54.22 million will come from another Navy account used for investments in equipment and materials. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

The Navy first awarded the contract in 2017, $5 billion to complete design work for the new ballistic-missile submarines and to develop components and technologies as well as missile tube module and reactor compartment bulkhead prototyping and manufacturing efforts.

The contract has been expanded several times since then. In 2020, the Navy added a $9.7 billion modification to fund construction and testing of the two Columbia-class submarines, SSBN 826 and SSBN 827. Another modification in December 2022 provided $5.13 billion for advance procurement and early construction of critical components and materials needed for five additional Columbia-class boats.

General Dynamics Electric Boat employs more than 24,000 people. General Dynamics employs more than 110,000 people worldwide and generated $47.7 billion in 2024 revenue.