Northrop Grumman Gets $5.1 Billion Aircraft Carrier Contract

We, at UIAGC, work tirelessly to support our customers, and so I was excited to see that one of our clients, Northrop Grumman received a $5.1 billion, 7-year cost plus incentive fee contract award for detail design and construction of the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. This new class of carrier is the replacement for the Nimitz-class design that originated in the 1960s.

Carriers of the Ford class will incorporate many new design features including a new nuclear reactor design (the A1B reactor), stealthier features to help reduce radar profile, electromagnetic catapults, advanced arresting gear, and reduced crewing requirements. The U.S. Navy believes that with the addition of the most modern equipment and extensive use of automation they will be able to reduce the crew requirement and the total cost of future aircraft carriers. The primary recognition feature compared to earlier supercarriers will be the more aft location of the navigation “island”.

The company’s Shipbuilding sector will perform the work at the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, the only shipyard in the United States capable of building and refueling nuclear powered aircraft carriers.

The Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) class will continue the legacy of highly capable U.S. Navy aircraft carrier ship platforms. Enhancements being incorporated into the design include flight deck changes, improved weapons handling systems, and a redesigned island, all resulting in increased aircraft sortie rates. It will also include a new nuclear power plant; increased electrical power generation capacity; allowance for future technologies; and reduced workload for the sailors, translating to a smaller crew size and lower operating costs for the Navy.

Matt Mulherin, vice president and general manager for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding’s Newport News operations said this about the contract:

“This contract award is an important and historic milestone for our company, our Navy and our country, it represents an incredible opportunity for the great shipbuilders of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding to build the first new aircraft carrier class in more than 40 years. The work we are doing today will play a significant role in America’s defense for many generations to come.”

Below is a time line:

• Advance construction of the Gerald R. Ford began in 2005 under a separate contract valued at $2.7 billion.
• About one third of the ship’s 1,200 structural units are currently under construction.
• The ship’s keel will be laid in the fall of 2009 and delivery to the Navy is scheduled for 2015.