Naval Nuclear Propulsion

The Ohio-class Replacement was one of two main drivers for General Dynamics’ 5.5 percent overall revenue increase from the second quarter of fiscal 2014 to the second quarter of fiscal 2015, as sales rose from $7.5 billion to $7.9 billion, company officials stated yesterday. GD CEO Phebe Novakovic said the program is on schedule. “Ohio[-class […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/24/2015 Two Navy officials who faced allegations of lobbying for Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine replacement funding have been cleared of breaking the law by the Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD IG), according to statements from DoD IG and Navy spokespeople obtained by NS&D Monitor and sister publication Defense Daily this […]

President Barack Obama has nominated Navy Vice Adm. James Caldwell for appointment to the rank of admiral and for assignment as Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced yesterday. Caldwell is currently serving as Director of Navy Staff, N09B, in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the […]

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert released the CNO’s Navigation Plan for 2015-2019 yesterday, and listed maintaining a “credible, modern, and survivable sea-based strategic deterrent,” including existing Ohio-class submarines, Trident 2s, and nuclear command, control and communications, as the Navy’s No. 1 overall priority. The plan also notes the Ohio-class Replacement whose construction is […]

The Navy has awarded Electric Boat a $9.8 million not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification for the procurement of the “first article” common missile compartment tube-to-keel robotic weld skids to the robotic welding integrator and engineering services for the Ohio-class Replacement (OR), the Defense Department announced on Wednesday. “The contractor will be procuring hardware relating to the […]

The Navy has awarded Electric Boat a $9.8 million not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification for the procurement of the “first article” common missile compartment tube-to-keel robotic weld skids to the robotic welding integrator and engineering services for the Ohio-class Replacement (OR), the Defense Department announced yesterday. “The contractor will be procuring hardware relating to the fixture […]

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert yesterday announced the promotion of Capt. Jeffrey Trussler to rear admiral and his appointment to commander of the Undersea Warfighting Development Center in Groton, Conn. Trussler currently serves as the Deputy Director of Analysis and Requirements, N2/N6, in the Office of the CNO […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Navy Strategic Systems Programs has awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems a $27.5 million sole-source, unpriced-letter contract for long lead material and the “labor, planning and scheduling necessary” to sustain the Fiscal Year 2015 Trident 2 production schedule, the Defense Department announced on July 6. Work is expected to complete by […]

Michael E. Jabaley Jr., has been selected for promotion to rear admiral, and will be assigned as Program Executive Officer for Submarines in Washington, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced yesterday. Jabaley is currently serving as commander of Naval Undersea Warfare Center for Naval Sea Systems Command in […]

Navy Strategic Systems Programs has awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems a $27.5 million sole-source, unpriced-letter contract for long lead material and the “labor, planning and scheduling necessary” to sustain the Fiscal Year 2015 Trident 2 production schedule, the Defense Department announced yesterday. Work is expected to complete by Sept. 30, 2020. The FY 2014 Navy […]

The Navy’s Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair at Groton, Conn., has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat an $8.7 million modification to the Ohio-class Replacement (OR) design contract originally awarded in December 2012, according to an announcement by the Defense Department yesterday. The modification will cover the procurement of the U.S./U.K. “E Fixture Robotic Cut” […]

The United States and the National Nuclear Security Administration should increase funding for research and development aimed at replacing the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in naval reactors with the use of low enriched uranium (LEU), according to Andrew Bieniawski, vice president of material security and minimization at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Bieniawski presented […]

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, during a full House Armed Services Committee hearing on nuclear deterrence Thursday said he hopes the Defense Department will clearly articulate whether the Congressionally established Sea-Based Deterrence Fund is the appropriate method to fund the Ohio-class Replacement (OR). “What […]

Brian Bradley  NS&D Monitor  6/26/2015 Navy Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) on Wednesday announced it plans to award Charles Stark Draper Laboratories a sole-source special project alteration contract to provide the “effort and oversight” to procure the Trident 2 Life Extension production materials, according to a notice posted on Fed Biz Opps. Draper is the prime […]

Strategic Systems Programs yesterday announced it plans to award Charles Stark Draper Laboratories a sole-source special project alteration contract to provide the “effort and oversight” to procure the Trident 2 Life Extension production materials, according to a notice posted on Fed Biz Opps. Draper is the prime contractor for the development, production and fleet support […]

Brian Bradley  NS&D Monitor  6/12/2015 Senate appropriators this week expressed concern about whether the Navy’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2016 accurately reflects the service’s most important priorities, including the Ohio-class Replacement (OR) Program. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday reported out its version of the FY 2016 defense spending bill, which does not include […]

Valerie Insinna Defense Daily  6/12/2015 The House on June 11 passed its $578.6 billion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2016, after members voted to eliminate a prohibition on transferring funds for the Ohio-class replacement submarine to the National Sea Based Deterrence Fund created last year by Congress. The House Armed Services Committee’s authorization bill recommended […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 6/12/2015 A government watchdog organization is concerned that two top Navy submarine officials might have violated anti-lobbying laws when they urged attendees of an October symposium to push their local Congressmen to support the Ohio-class Replacement (OR) Program. The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) sent a letter last week to U.S. […]

The House voted late last night to eliminate  a part of the House Appropriations Committee’s version of the Fiscal Year 2016 defense spending bill that would have blocked financial transfers into the National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund, a standalone account established to protect Navy shipbuilding from significant financial impacts anticipated from the Ohio-class Replacement Program. At […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 8/29/2014 A month-long Navy investigation has resulted in the expulsion of 34 sailors and a criminal investigation into 10 of the most serious cases in connection with a cheating ring reported in February. Completed in March, the investigation found that a “Pencil File” containing past Engineering Watch Supervisor (EWS) exams and […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 6/5/2015 Members of the House Appropriations Committee are “confused” about why the Navy “prematurely down-selected” to a “single material system” in 2014 to develop sonar bow domes for the Ohio-class Replacement (OR), according to the report accompanying the committee’s version of the defense spending bill for Fiscal Year 2016. The panel […]

Capt. Thomas Ishee has been selected for promotion to the rank of rear admiral, and has been nominated to be the Deputy Commander of U.S. Strategic Command’s Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert announced yesterday. The position is located at Offutt AFB, […]

As the full House Appropriations Committee will today start marking up its version of the defense spending bill for Fiscal Year 2016, members of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee appear to be “confused” about why the Navy “prematurely down-selected” to a “single material system” in 2014, to develop bow domes for the Ohio-class Replacement (OR), […]

Previous years’ fiscal cutbacks have delayed and extended deployments of Ohio-class submarines, and a senior Pentagon submarine official on Friday said that the risk margin of operating the ballistic missile subs has been “chipped away at” since the subs debuted in the 1980s. “Pressures like this have imposed a cost to the resiliency of our […]

Rear Adm. Charles Richard will be assigned as Director of the Undersea Warfare Division, N97, in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert announced yesterday. Richard is currently serving as commander of Submarine Group Ten at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 5/22/2015 In contrast to their colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee, House appropriators have proposed blocking funding from being transferred into the Sea-Based Deterrent Fund in their version of the FY 2016 defense appropriations bill, reported out of subcommittee this week. The fund is seen as a potential source of […]

President Barack Obama nominated Rear Adm. Joe Tofalo for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as commander of Naval Submarine Forces, commander of Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and commander of Allied Submarine Command, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced yesterday. Tofalo currently serves as Navy Director of Undersea Warfare, N97, in the […]

The House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee yesterday released its draft of the Fiscal Year 2016 Defense Appropriations bill, which the subcommittee will mark up today. Notably, the draft would prohibit any money from being transferred into the Sea-Based Deterrent Fund. “None of the funds provided in this or any other Act may be transferred to the […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 5/15/2015 Navy Strategic Systems Programs intends to negotiate a modification by May 29 to accelerate the delivery and increase the number of launcher subsystem tactical hardware for installation of the 1st Article missile tube quad pack for the Ohio Replacement and UK Successor programs’ Common Missile Compartment, according to Defense Department […]

IN DoD Defense Secretary Ash Carter this week nominated Adm. John Richardson to be the next Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). Richardson currently serves as Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. “Admiral John Richardson was a clear choice,” Carter said. “He’s a bold thinker, a tremendous leader, and the go-to officer for many of […]