Reducing the acquisition cost of current and future platforms is a critical goal of the Navy. In 2006, Navy ManTech adopted a shipbuilding affordability investment strategy that is currently focused on affordability improvements for four major acquisition platforms: DDG 1000, CVN 21, the Littoral Combat Ship and the Virginia Class Submarine (VCS).
ManTech’s focus is to help these programs achieve their respective affordability goals. By transitioning needed manufacturing technology, The Navy can reduce or avoid costs for these key platforms.
For the VCS initiative, extensive interaction and cooperation between Navy ManTech, Navy ManTech Centers of Excellence (COEs), General Dynamics Electric Boat, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding – Newport News, PEO Subs and the PMS 450 program office has resulted in a focused ManTech initiative that is now successfully transitioning and implementing technology to aid in the joint goal of the Navy and industry, which is to reduce the cost of VCS from $2.4 billion to $2.0 billion to allow for the construction of two submarines per year in 2012.
Navy ManTech is investing in a number of areas to improve VCS affordability. These include: advanced welding and joining processes; outfitting process improvements; design for production process improvements; material management; schedule compression; and improved materials and processes.
The current ManTech portfolio contains approximately 60 projects and has a potential cost savings per hull of approximately $32 million. Eighteen of the ManTech affordability projects are implemented or are in the process of implementation. Realized cost savings/hull of $20 million has been recognized by the Virginia class program office and General Dynamics Electric Boat. These real acquisition cost savings for the VCS have been negotiated into the Block III Virginia class submarine procurement. A process has been established to achieve further savings during future submarine acquisition processes.
Navy ManTech, in its partnership with PMS 450 and the VCS primes, is now expanding its focus to Block IV and reduction of Total Ownership Cost (TOC) to include acquisition cost savings, maintenance cost savings and reducing total time in drydock to improve operational availability.