Hi everyone, it’s Wednesday, June 24th. Today I’ve got two topics to discuss that are critical to our business. (Click here for podcast.)
First, the Navy announced on Monday that Electric Boat has been awarded a contract modification which includes a $9.5 billion dollar option for the construction of the first two Columbia-class submarines. The option, subject to approval by Congress and the Department of Defense, also covers related design and engineering support. As part of this announcement, the Navy also awarded EB $869 million dollars for incremental funding for Columbia covering design and engineering completion work, and support for the continued expansion of the submarine industrial base. The total of the two awards announced Monday—$10.3 billion dollars—modifies the $5.1 billion design contract awarded to EB for Columbia back in 2017.
This great news marks a historic moment for Electric Boat; in my opinion, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can think of no better time and no better place for someone to make a career in shipbuilding. From my perspective, my 25 years in shipbuilding has allowed me to raise a family, paid my bills and helped put my daughter through college. I am grateful for that opportunity and now, with this contract award, that opportunity extends to the next generation of shipbuilders. Let me explain:
The first Columbia submarine, SSBN 826, is scheduled to be delivered in 2027. There are twelve ships in the Columbia class, which we’ll be building through the year 2040, so Columbia will be the defining project for many people’s careers, just like Virginia defined a generation of shipbuilders’ careers here at Electric Boat. Columbia will provide great jobs and economic stability for our region for decades to come—nearer and dearer to me is the impact it has on the lives of each of us and those of our families. It’s also great news for the many suppliers we rely on. We’ve worked hard over the last two decades to build back the supplier base that we lost when the Cold War came to an end and submarine construction suffered. This contract enables us to continue supporting the expansion of our supply base, especially in the area of domestic missile tube production.
While economic security is important, I know all of us want to work at something that really matters and makes a difference. With Columbia, the Navy has entrusted us to deliver the next sixty years of deterrence for our nation. Ballistic-missile submarines are the critical, survivable-leg of our nation’s nuclear triad, and carry the majority of the deterrence that keeps our country safe. With Columbia, we, the men and women of Electric Boat, get to carry on the legacy that began in 1960 with the delivery of the first boomer, USS George Washington, right through to the Ohio class submarines Columbia will eventually replace.
Thank you to so many who brought the Columbia program to this point—designers, engineers, our skilled trades men and women and our co-workers in contracts, cost estimating, Finance and Legal. Thank you to everyone for your hard work and your perseverance. I’d also like to thank and acknowledge General Dynamics for the $1.8 billion dollars they are investing in our facilities to ensure Columbia’s success.
Now the hard work begins. Remember the saying: From everyone who has been given much, much will be expected. With this incredible opportunity comes responsibility each member of the EB team must recognize. Columbia’s design is more advanced than that of any previous submarine program. To be successful, we need to continue to focus on quality. In every aspect of the program, we must get it right the first time. That means we need to take individual responsibility—what will you do, personally, to ensure the success of Columbia? Our families, our region and our nation are counting on us. If we all come into work each day with that mindset, we will succeed. Together, we can do this, in defense of our nation and for the security of future generations of Americans.
Now, to my second topic for today, the status of COVID-19 positive cases at Electric Boat. While in general, overall COVID case numbers are encouraging in our region on the East Coast, case numbers are spiking in other areas of the country, especially in the south, including Florida. That fact is reflected in the number of new cases I have to report. We have 13 new positive cases since my last report, ten of which are employees working down at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Two cases are from Quonset Point and one case is from New London. Here are the details of the case information in the order in which they occurred.
The 56th positive case is an employee who works in New London in department 448, located in building 801. The employee’s last day of work was June 12th. The employee was tested on June 15th.
The 57th and 58th positive COVID tests are for two employees at the Quonset Point Facility in department 935, located in building #60. The 57th employee’s last day of work was June 18th. The employee was tested on June 19th. The 58th employee’s last day of work was June 19th. The employee was tested on June 20th.
Now cases 59 through 65 are employees assigned to Cape Canaveral, Florida. The employees’ home departments are 445, 272, 444, 278, 272, 415 and 972. All seven employees last date of work was June 18th, they were tested on June 19th and their test results were received June 22nd. Operations in Cape Canaveral have ceased while these individuals recuperate.
The 66th positive COVID test result is for an EB employee at Quonset Point in department 935 located in building 60. The employee’s last day of work was June 22nd, 2020. The employee was tested on June 22nd, 2020.
The 67th case is an employee assigned to Cape Canaveral. Their home department is 242. The employee’s last day of work was June 18th, they were tested on June 19th and their test results were received on June 23rd.
The 68th positive COVID test is for an employee who works at Quonset Point in department 923, located in building #17. The employee’s last day of work was June 22nd. The employee was tested on June 23rd.
Those are a lot of cases to go through and clearly, this is not the time to get complacent or relax with regard to our posture on COVID. We need to stay vigilant and adhere to our social distancing and PPE protocols. That means:
- Wear a face covering while you’re at work, and
- Maintain a safe distance of 6-feet or more from your colleagues
- Wash your hands with soap and water and use hand sanitizer
- And most importantly—I can’t say it strongly enough—if you don’t feel well, stay home.
Thanks for listening; we’ll talk with you soon.
Kevin
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