Despite Bad Press Otherwise, The Quiet Success Story Continues

Military.com covers the delivery of the PCU North Carolina to the Navy.

The Navy took delivery of its newest attack submarine, Pre-commissioning unit North Carolina (SSN 777), from Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN) Feb. 21. North Carolina is the fourth Virginia-class submarine and the second delivered by NGNN.

According to Virginia-class program manager, Capt. Dave Johnson, the delivery of North Carolina was a 10-month improvement compared to NGNN's first Virginia-class submarine, USS Texas (SSN 775).

"The Navy's shipbuilding partners have brought the learning curve down and performance continues to improve," he said.

The Virginia-class is the Navy's first major combatant designed and delivered specifically for the post-Cold War security environment. The class provides the ability to dominate across a wide range of missions including strike; special operations; anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; battle group support; and Mmne. warfare in both shallow and deep-water environments.

Does everyone remember the concern for cost increases with the Virginia class submarines? The concern was so high in fact that the program was scaled down, producing only 1 hull a year divided among two shipyards, because we were told cost increases were certain to make the class unfordable.

We don't deny that fast-attack submarines are expensive, but we note the Block III Virginia class is an amazing evolution of the class, perhaps one of the most deadly weapons of war ever invented, and the costs have been reduced to support 2 billion per hull at a build rate of 2 per year. Why does this matter, because there will be no refueling costs, the reactors lasts the full service life of the class, so costs don't pile on later like they have with the Los Angeles class.

For all the hype and negative press thrown at the submarine community by the Navy itself, I'd like to review a few facts. The cost increases to the LPD-17 program is at 70%. The cost increase to the LCS program was last identified 80%, and has probably risen higher since.

The cost increase to the Virginia class submarine program = 11%, and just in case you want to know the source, it is J. Michael Gilmore and Eric J. Labs testimony to the House of Representatives on July 24, 2007.

Eric Labs is the most credible source we know of when it comes to shipbuilding, in that same testimony from last year he predicted the final costs of LCS-1 would be $630 million. Earlier this month the final cost for LCS-1 was identified as $631 million, which suggests Eric Labs is head of the class when it comes to identification of shipbuilding costs.

PCU North Carolina is expected to be commissioned May 3, 2008, in Wilmington, N.C.