B&W Nuclear Operations Group, a Babcock & Wilcox Company subsidiary, has new contracts and work orders from the U.S. Naval Reactors Program totaling approximately $195 million to continue designing and fabricating products for the Ohio-class nuclear submarine replacement program.
“B&W is pleased to receive these contracts supporting the U.S. defense programs, including the Ohio-class submarine replacement program and the overall mission of the U.S. Navy,” stated president and COO of B&W’s government operations, Peyton S. Baker. “Smart execution in our shops is of paramount importance to the safe, reliable and cost-effective delivery of this hardware and design services to the U.S. government.”
The Ohio-class submarines are a series of 18 nuclear-powered vessels,14 of which are armed with ballistic missiles and four stocked with guided missiles. The latter carry almost half of the U.S. strategic nuclear warhead stockpile.
The U.S. Department of Defense has initiated a program to replace the Ohio-class with future vessel design, now planned to begin construction in 2012. The Navy has contracted General Dynamics Corp.’s Electric Boat division to develop the new designs, a contract worth up to $1.99 billion.
The B&W assignments include four new contracts, incrementally funded and totaling $76.8 million, to design, fabricate, and further develop the Ohio-class submarine replacement.
Another new contract worth $18.8 million was awarded for disassembly and recovery of highly enriched uranium materials during FY2014.
Two new work orders were ‘released’ in line with previously awarded contacts: A $23.7-million incremental contact was awarded for manufacturing nuclear components in support of U.S. defense programs, including manufacturing U.S. Naval nuclear power systems for submarines and aircraft carriers. This order to be completed in 2014 is an addition to a previously announced, $1.3-billion contract.
And, a $76-million contract was placed for procuring material to be used in the assembly of nuclear propulsion components. This 2014 contract adds to a previously announced, $366-million contract.
The work on these contracts will be carried out at B&W NOG’s plants in Lynchburg, Va., Mount Vernon, Ind., and Barberton and Euclid, Ohio.
Babcock & Wilcox develops energy technology and services, primarily nuclear, coal and renewable power plants, and also develops defense-related nuclear-power technology.
