Naval Nuclear Propulsion

Defense Secretary Ash Carter yesterday 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 the Navy’s tough […]

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 a Friday Defense Department announcement. Northrop Grumman […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 5/8/2015 The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division has awarded Lockheed Martin a $16 million sole-source indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical engineering, life cycle support and repair services of Ohio-class submarine data processing system (DPS) equipment and related systems, according to a May 1 Defense Department announcement. The announcement defines DPS […]

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division has awarded Lockheed Martin a $16 million sole-source indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical engineering, life cycle support and repair services of Ohio-class submarine data processing system (DPS) equipment and related systems, according to a Friday Defense Department announcement. The announcement defines DPS as a “mission critical” legacy subsystem […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 5/1/2015 Navy Strategic Systems Programs last week announced it will contract with Charles Stark Draper Laboratories to ensure Trident 2 Guidance Systems are sustained throughout their lifecycle. The new contract will involve detailed analysis of all factory and fleet performance data and development of alternative technologies to mitigate product obsolescence. Draper […]

Navy Strategic Systems Programs last week announced it will contract with Charles Stark Draper Laboratories to ensure Trident 2 Guidance Systems are sustained throughout their life cycle. Draper won a $257.8 million contract on March 7, 2013 to alter the missile’s guidance system as part of life extension work. Draper’s work will involve detailed analysis […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 4/24/2015 The House Armed Services Seapower & Projection Forces Subcommittee markup of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act authorizes the transfer of $1.4 billion into the Sea-Based Deterrence Fund from Navy research and development funds, expands the transfer authority for the Fund from the Navy to the Defense Department, […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 4/24/2015 The Nuclear Enterprise reviews completed last year showed that the triad is running at a $9 to $25 billion recapitalization and sustainment deficit—not including bombers and ballistic missile submarines—a shortfall that will take “years” to fix, a top National Nuclear Security Administration official told Senators April 22. “We did not […]

The Nuclear Enterprise reviews completed last year showed that the triad is running at a $9 to $25 billion recapitalization and sustainment deficit—not including bombers and ballistic missile submarines—a shortfall that will take “years” to fix, a top National Nuclear Security Administration official told Senators yesterday. “We did not evaluate any of the replacement programs […]

The House Armed Services Seapower & Projection Forces Subcommittee markup of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act gives the Navy Secretary increased power to push money into the Sea-Based Deterrence Fund and allows the fund to incorporate “cross-program coordinated procurement efforts.” The FY 2015 NDAA authorized only the Defense Secretary to shift money […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 4/17/2015 As the budgetary and strategic foundation for the rest of the Navy’s future shipbuilding program, the Ohio-class Replacement (OR) Program would cause a $154 billion total shortfall across Fiscal Years 16-35 at the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2015 funding level, according to Navy documents released this week. If the Navy procures […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 4/17/2015 The Defense Department can’t afford to build the Ohio-class Replacement (OR), the long range strike-bomber, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, the long-range standoff weapon, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer said this week. Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics said the nuclear triad modernization will cost about […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 4/17/2015 Strategic Systems Programs SSP announced on April 14 it intends to contract with Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training to support the Trident 2’s Navigation Subsystem. The contractor will provide support of U.S. and U.K. fleets, trainer systems and trainer SSP Shipboard System Integration (SSI) Development Activities. After award, Lockheed’s […]

After the November Nuclear Enterprise Reviews (NER) found investment shortfalls in nuclear forces, the Navy is requesting an additional $407 million for its leg of the nuclear triad in Fiscal Year 2016, and $2.2 billion over the Future Years’ Defense Program, the chief of Navy’s strategic missile force stated yesterday in written testimony to House […]

The Navy plans to release an RFP for the Ohio-class Replacement’s (OR’s) design phase in December, the chief of the service’s Submarines program said yesterday. “That will then fund the design work—both the [Navy shipbuilding budget] SCN and the research and development-funded elements through the lead ship,” Rear Adm. David Johnson, Program Executive Officer for […]

Here are some of the events around Washington that we’re keeping an eye on this week:  The Sea-Air-Space Exposition will be held today through Wednesday at the Gaylord National Hotel in National Harbor, Md. Sessions will include speakers from consultants, industry, the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, including senior leaders. The House Armed Services […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 4/10/2015 If the Navy does not receive additional funding for the Ohio-class Replacement (OR), the next-generation ballistic missile submarine would consume about half of the shipbuilding budget during procurement, the shipbuilding base will be “severely degraded,” and the full battle force inventory will fall short of the amount required by the […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 4/10/2015 Navy Strategic Systems Programs intends to award a sole-source contract to Alexandria, Va.-based Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., (SPA) to provide systems engineering and technical assessment of the Trident 2 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) Program, according to an April 8 announcement by the Defense Department. The contract will also entail […]

Navy Strategic Systems Programs intends to award a sole-source contract to Alexandria, Va.-based Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., (SPA) to provide systems engineering and technical assessment of the Trident 2 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) Program, according to an announcement by the Defense Department yesterday. Part of SPA’s work will involve Strategic Weapon subsystem assessments and […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 3/27/2015 OGDEN, UTAH – Collaboration between the Air Force ICBM System Program Office and Navy Strategic System Programs (SSP) looks promising, Michael Maglich, SSP Technical Director/Deputy Direct Reporting Program Manager, said last week here at the TRIAD conference. “I think we have a common forcing function, the budget, that we didn’t […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 3/20/2015 OGDEN, UTAH—The Defense Department might be forced to “look creatively” at funding the estimated $139 billion Ohio-class Replacement, including shifting money from other services, a top Navy official said March 19. “I don’t advocate that at all,” Rear Adm. Richard Breckenridge, Director of the Navy Warfare Integration Division (N91) said […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 3/20/2015 The Obama Administration and Congress should work to make sure the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program has enough funding and resources to address current and projected necessary investments in the overall naval nuclear enterprise, according to a report released March 19 by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). The report “Naval […]

While the Navy’s annual shipbuilding budget averages about $16 billion yearly, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the service’s 2015 shipbuilding plan would require a $5 billion average yearly plus-up over the next 30 years to support plans to build 12 Ohio-class Replacement (OR) submarines. According to a CBO report released Friday, a $16 billion […]

Absent funding relief, construction of Ohio-class Replacement (OR) could pose challenges to the Navy’s 21st century seapower strategy, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said on Friday. The Navy’s strategy involves building up to and commissioning 300 ships, and officials project that the estimated $139 billion OR program could eat up two-thirds of the […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 3/13/2015 Will the Navy fund the Ohio-class Replacement (OR) through its shipbuilding budget, through a separate Navy fund, or through the larger Defense Department account? Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert on March 10 told Senators he wants to find a specific vehicle to appropriate money toward the Sea-Based Deterrence […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 3/13/2015 Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has awarded Electric Boat a $24.3 million modification to a November 2010 sole-source submarine research and development contract, according to a March 6 Defense Department announcement. The modification will involve engineering and technical design services to support research and development of advanced submarine technologies, to […]

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert yesterday told Senators he wants to find a specific vehicle to appropriate money toward the Sea-Based Deterrence Fund, written into the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act to fund the Ohio-class Replacement. “Is it just other Navy shipbuilding accounts?” he said. “Is it just other Navy appropriations? Or do […]

Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Electric Boat a $24.3 million modification to a November 2010, sole-source submarine research and development contract, according to a March 6 Defense Department announcement.. The modification will involve engineering and technical design services to support research and development of advanced submarine technologies, to include the Ohio-class Replacement (OR). The […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 3/6/2015 Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) on March 4 nudged fellow lawmakers on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to bankroll the Navy’s National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund (SBDF), which was included in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act as a separate fund from the service’s general shipbuilding account.  “We’re now in the beginning […]

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) nudged fellow lawmakers on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee yesterday to bankroll the Navy’s National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund (SBDF), included in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act separate from the service’s general shipbuilding (SCN) account. “We’re now in the beginning of reconstituting our seaborne deterrence, and I would hope that this […]