Posted on October 1, 2025
The US Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $642.3-million contract modification to provide design and engineering support for its Virginia-class attack submarines.
The award funds Lead Yard Support, which includes technical assistance, design updates, and development studies tied to the Virginia class. The work will be performed primarily at Electric Boat’s Groton, Connecticut, shipyard and is scheduled for completion by April 2026.
The funding covers a wide mix of navy accounts: shipbuilding and conversion budgets from fiscal years 2021 through 2025, plus research and development dollars. More than $41 million will be taken from 2021 funds, while $31 million will be obligated from 2024.
General Dynamics Electric Boat President Mark Rayha said that the latest development allows the company to be prepared “to deliver the advantage to protect our sailors, our families, and our freedom.”
“This funding allows us to continue our design and development efforts in order to sustain and extend our nation’s operational overmatch against any potential adversaries,” he said.
The Virginia class is the navy’s backbone for fast-attack operations. First commissioned in 2004, the nuclear-powered submarines are built for intelligence gathering, strike missions, and anti-submarine warfare.
Addressing Russia, China Expansion
The program has taken on heightened urgency as China and Russia expand their own submarine fleets.
The contract also arrives as the US industrial base strains under competing demands. The navy is juggling continued Virginia-class procurement with the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program, its highest acquisition priority.
Delays and workforce shortages have raised concerns about whether the industry can sustain both programs on schedule.
The navy, however, continues to double down on the Virginia class. The Block V version of the submarine, now in production, adds the Virginia Payload Module, which is an extension that increases missile capacity and gives each boat more firepower for conventional strike missions.
