Navy Awards $94 Million USS Miami Contract

The United States Navy awarded a team led by General Dynamics Electric Boat a $94 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract with an option worth an additional $6 million for the advanced planning and material efforts to support USS Miami's (SSN 755) repairs on September 14.  

The contract will allow Electric Boat (EB) teamed with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to provide design and planning services, repair material ordering, and pre-fabrication efforts required to restore Miami following a severe fire earlier this year.

"This is an important step in getting Miami back to the Fleet," said Vice Adm. Kevin J. McCoy, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command. "With this contract, the Navy and its shipbuilding and maintenance partners will be able to develop a repair plan that gets this warship back to the Fleet where it belongs."

after a former Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employee, Casey James Fury, 24, of Portsmouth later admitted to authorities that he intentionally set that fire and then another fire outside of the nuclear submarine on June 16. In both instances, Fury told Navy investigators he set the fires so he could leave work early. Fury was subsequently arrested and charged with arson and his case is still pending in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine.

The contract allows Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries to begin the process of evaluating all the work that must be accomplished to fully restore Miami and then write a repair schedule that allows for the most economical restoration possible.

"The shipbuilders are going to use their expertise to lay out a plan to bring Miami back," said Rear Adm. David Duryea, Deputy Commander for Undersea Warfare.  "When we're done in April 2015, Miami will be fully mission capable with no operational restrictions. This contract moves us toward that eventuality," Duryea concluded.

Aside from the planning effort, the contract allows EB and HII to identify and obtain required repair materials such as piping and electrical cabling.  "We know that Miami is going to need a lot of certain items and allowing the shipbuilder to start the ordering process now will ensure the material is on-hand when it's needed," said Duryea.

Once the advanced planning is complete, the Navy estimates awarding the repair contract later in 2013. The Navy anticipates that Miami will cost approximately $450 million to fully restore.

Submitted by Alan Baribeau, NAVSEA Public Affairs Office, Washington, D.C.