Defense materials company ATI announced Thursday it has signed a new five-year strategic material supply agreement with nuclear fuel company BWX Technologies (BWXT), extending a long-standing partnership supporting the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program through fiscal 2030.
The agreement is intended to ensure a steady supply of specialty materials used in reactor systems for the Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers, according to the press release by ATI. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The deal builds on a four-decade long relationship between ATI and BWXT, a steady supplier of nuclear reactor components and fuel for the Navy’s fleet. ATI said it has provided advanced materials for naval nuclear applications since the early years of the nation’s nuclear-powered submarine program and now serves as a supplier of titanium, nickel-based alloys and other specialty materials used in demanding defense environments.
“For more than 40 years, ATI has delivered advanced materials that enable naval systems built by BWXT to operate with unmatched performance, reliability, and protection,” ATI President and Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Fields said in a statement announcing the agreement.
The announcement comes as BWXT continues to receive major contracts tied to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. In May, the company disclosed more than $1.4 billion in awards for long-lead material procurement and reactor system component manufacturing. Those contracts are structured with annual task orders extending through 2030.
The renewed ATI-BWXT agreement aims to support the Navy’s nuclear fleet as construction continues on Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and Virginia-class attack submarines, as well as provide greater supply certainty for reactor component manufacturing over the remainder of the decade.