- Groton shipyard wins submarine maintenance contract that extends through February 2022
- Private shipyards compete for contracts with four public Navy shipyards
- Connecticut politicians express support for submarine maintenance at private shipyards, which has been shown to be more cost-effective
Electric Boat has won a $126 million contract for submarine maintenance through February 2022. Two of Connecticut’s representatives to Congress said the decision highlights the importance of private shipyards in the upkeep of naval vessels.
Private shipyards compete with four public U.S. Navy shipyards for maintenance contracts on submarines. A 2019 report from the Congressional Budget Office, focusing on 117 depot overhauls of Los Angeles class attack submarines between 1993 and 2017, determined that work completed at private shipyards was 31 percent less expensive than work completed at public yards, on average. However, this gap has narrowed recently.
Rep. Joe Courtney, who represents the district that includes Electric Boat’s Groton shipyard, and Senator Richard Blumenthal said bottlenecks and outdated systems at the Navy shipyards strengthen the argument that more maintenance work should be contracted to private yards. Advocates for private shipyards also argue that the contracts help stabilize the workforce, keep workers up to date on changes to technology, and provide a cost-effective way to maintain naval strength.
