By Larry Runkle
July 23, 2018
This week is the MLB All-Star game, which traditionally marks the halfway point of the baseball season. During the All-Star break, players get some time off to relax and recharge for the second half of the season. Locally, the Red Sox and the Yankees typically prepare for the second half and the drive to the playoffs. This year looks like an exciting playoff drive for both teams. The season’s champion may once again come down to who emerges as Mr. October like Reggie Jackson was once named for his outstanding playoff performances.
At Electric Boat, we are just coming out of the July 4 holiday period and are preparing for our second half of the year. We also have a “playoff” drive to make. In the second half of 2018, we will deliver three submarines, boosting our nation’s defensive posture and helping to ensure our nation’s freedom. In late August/early September, we are poised to commence initial sea trials and deliver the new-construction submarine South Dakota (SSN 790). In late September/early October we are prepared for sea trials and delivery of USS Colorado (SSN 788) as her post-shakedown availability is completed. And, later in October, we will be focused on the completion of the USS Montpelier (SSN 765) IDD, returning this SSN 688 (Los Angeles) class submarine to mission readiness.
It has been several years since Electric Boat has delivered three submarines in one year, let alone in less than six months. We will deliver three submarines in 2019 as well. Great teamwork will be required to achieve our goals. In baseball, the teams that are successful in the playoffs execute the fundamentals well, achieve contributions from throughout the lineup and demonstrate outstanding teamwork. Likewise, at Electric Boat, we all have an important role to play in the delivery of these submarines. We must focus on the fundamentals of our trade or discipline and work together. Our hard work, focus on safety and quality, and drive to ensure we get each detail right is necessary to put these ships to sea with confidence. Teamwork with the ship’s crew, with SUPSHIP Groton, with other Navy and government organizations, with our Newport News Shipbuilding partners and between Electric Boat departments and organizations is crucial to ensure that testing and sea trials are safe and successful.
This is our playoff run… our drive for October excellence. Our success in delivering three submarines in the second half of 2018 will demonstrate that Electric Boat is up to the challenge of increased new construction and repair work.
Quonset Point Donation Will Help Keep Mystic Aquarium’s Belugas Cool
Juno, the Mystic Aquarium’s convivial, photo-bombing Beluga whale, will continue swimming in cool comfort thanks to an unlikely chain of events that began 40 miles east in an Electric Boat industrial building at Quonset Point. That’s where EB’s Russ Tatro and Chris Logan were going over plans with a vendor, Carrier Corp., to replace Building...Continue reading→
EB Team Visits Hypertherm as Part of Drive Toward Modern, Efficient Shipbuilding
A team from Groton and Quonset Point headed to New Hampshire-based Hypertherm Associates this week to get a closer look at a modern automated plasma gouging process designed to streamline hull fabrication. The visit was part of a broader effort across Electric Boat to bring more advanced, state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing tools into the shipyard. EB plans...Continue reading→
Kamal Mohamed Recognized as 2026 Hartford Business Journal 40 Under Forty Award Recipient
The Hartford Business Journal (HBJ) 40 Under Forty Awards recognize outstanding young professionals in the Greater Hartford area who are excelling in their industries through their leadership roles. They are driven by success, motivated by challenges and are role models for their peers. These individuals are part of an outstanding class of upcoming business leaders...Continue reading→
Electric Boat Joins Regional Leaders for Military Appreciation Breakfast
Electric Boat employees joined military and community leaders for the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s annual Military Appreciation Breakfast on Sept. 30 at Ocean Beach Park’s Port ‘N’ Starboard. The event provided more than 120 complimentary seats to active-duty service members from the Navy, Coast Guard and Connecticut National Guard. General Dynamics Electric Boat...Continue reading→
One Week Left—Let’s Claim the Torch! AHA Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk: Final Countdown
We are just one week away from the 2026 AHA Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk on October 3, 2026, at UConn Avery Point and this is our moment to finish strong. We’ve built incredible momentum, and now we’re within striking distance of something big. Right now, Electric Boat is holding second place, behind Mohegan Sun by...Continue reading→
803 Section 2B/5 Transported from Quonset Point to Groton
PCU Arizona’s (SSGN 803) Section 2B/5 was successfully delivered to Groton from Quonset Point. At 184 feet in length, this section – which includes the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) – is the largest Virginia-class shipment ever transported. Arizona, the first submarine to incorporate VPM, will be about 460 feet long upon final construction. Section 2B/5...Continue reading→
Remembering September 11
On September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers of downtown Manhattan’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., were targeted in a series of coordinated attacks that would leave an everlasting imprint on our country’s psyche. As the events unfolded on that Tuesday morning, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, over 600 were injured...Continue reading→
EBECSA Celebrates 75 Years — Nominate EB Employees Past and Present for Recognition
This year, the Electric Boat Employees’ Community Services Association (EBECSA) proudly celebrates its 75th anniversary. EBECSA was founded in 1951 by EB employees who wanted to create a dedicated, organized way to support nonprofit health and human service agencies in the communities where we live and work. What began as a small employee‑driven effort has...Continue reading→
Atlas Plaque Unveiled, Honoring Plank Owners at South Yard Ceremony
Employees who have worked on Atlas, EB’s new state-of-the-art floating dry dock, gathered in the South Yard on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to unveil a new bronze plaque recognizing the contributions of its plank owners. The event celebrated the teams who helped bring Atlas from Bollinger Shipyards in Louisiana to its arrival in Groton earlier this year. Atlas will play...Continue reading→
Neighbors Meet with EB to Discuss Noise, Lighting and Other Quality of Life Topics
Nearly twenty neighbors of Electric Boat’s Groton shipyard joined company leaders Aug. 25 for a community conversation focused on their quality‑of‑life concerns related to the South Yard Assembly Building (SYAB) and Atlas, the new floating dry dock. The Mayor of the City of Groton, Jill Rusk, also attended. Residents said they appreciated the chance to talk...Continue reading→
