Navy and General Dynamics Electric Boat sign Agreement to convert the Third SSGN

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Since 02-23-05

     Exerpted from NSL UPDATE 02-04-2005

By Team Submarine Public Affairs and SSGN Program Office

WASHINGTON -- The Navy awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a contract modification on Jan. 28 for the conversion of USS Michigan (SSGN 727), the third of four ballistic missile submarines slated to become strike and special operations platforms. The USS Ohio (SSGN 726) and USS Florida (SSGN 728) are currently undergoing conversion in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Norfolk Naval Shipyard respectively. Michigan joined Ohio in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in March 2004 when it began its overhaul.

Speaking about the contract, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition John J. Young, Jr., said, “This agreement carries forward the momentum already achieved on this fast paced program, and provides an innovative package of incentives to motivate the contractor to hold schedule and control costs.  It builds on the experience of the Electric Boat and naval shipyard team already converting the first two SSGNs.  The four transformational platforms produced by the SSGN program will be vital national assets well into the next two decades.” 

“The Navy tied more of the fee to cost and performance metrics than before and General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is currently converting Ohio and Florida, is in a great place to take advantage of those incentives," said Program Executive Officer, Submarines, Rear Adm. John D. Butler. "It’s a win-win - the Navy gets its ships back to sea quicker and our contractor is rightly rewarded for doing a good job on time and on budget,” Butler concluded.

The SSGN has been cited as the ideal “Transformational” program as it is taking a Cold War era platform and remaking it to fit today’s and tomorrow’s needs. Instead of carrying 24 Trident ballistic missiles, each SSGN will accommodate up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, 66 Special Forces Operators, and either two Advanced SEAL Delivery Systems, two Dry-Deck Shelters, or one of each mounted atop two large lock out chambers.

The USS Ohio is scheduled to complete conversion in Nov. 2005, with the remaining three ships completed by Sept. 2007.