Northrop Grumman 2010 Annual Report Download - page 15

Aircraft Carriers – Shipbuilding is the nation’s sole industrial designer, builder, and refueler of nuclear-powered
aircraft carriers. The U.S. Navy’s newest carrier and the last of the Nimitz-class, the USS George H. W. Bush,was
delivered in May 2009. Design work on the next generation carrier, the Ford-class has been underway for over
eight years. The Ford-class incorporates transformational technologies including an enhanced flight deck with
increased sortie rates, improved weapons movement, a redesigned island, a new nuclear power plant design,
flexibility to incorporate future technologies, and reduced manning. In 2008, Shipbuilding was awarded a
$5.1 billion contract for construction of the first ship of the class, the Gerald R. Ford, which is scheduled for
delivery in 2015. The segment also provides ongoing maintenance for the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier fleet through
overhaul, refueling, and repair work. In 2009, the completion of the refueling and complex overhaul of the USS
Carl Vinson was followed by the arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is expected to be redelivered to the
U.S. Navy following its refueling in early 2013.
Expeditionary Warfare – Shipbuilding is the sole provider of amphibious assault ships for the U.S. Navy. In 2009,
construction of the Wasp class multipurpose amphibious assault ship was concluded with the delivery of LHD 8.
Construction of the San Antonio-class continues, with five ships delivered from 2005 to 2009 and four currently
in construction. In 2007, Shipbuilding was awarded the construction contract for LHA 6, the first in a new class
of enhanced amphibious assault ships. The first ship of the America-class ships is currently under construction and
is expected to join the fleet in 2013.
Surface Combatants – Shipbuilding designs and constructs Arleigh Burke-class Aegis-guided missile destroyers, as well
as major components for the Zumwalt-class, a land attack destroyer. Shipbuilding has delivered 26 Arleigh Burke
destroyers to the U.S. Navy, currently has one under construction, and was awarded a long-lead time material
contract for a restart of the Arleigh Burke-class in December 2009. Shipbuilding’s participation in the Zumwalt
program includes detailed design and construction of the ships’ integrated composite deckhouses, as well as
portions of the ships’ peripheral vertical launch systems.
Submarines – Shipbuilding is one of only two U.S. companies that designs and builds nuclear-powered
submarines. In February 1997, the company and Electric Boat, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics
Corporation, reached an agreement to cooperatively build Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines. The initial
four submarines in the class were delivered in 2004, 2006, and 2008. The construction contract for the second
block of six Virginia-class submarines was awarded in August 2003 and the first two submarines under this
contract were delivered in 2008 and 2009. Construction on the remaining four submarines is underway, with the
last scheduled to be delivered in 2014. In December 2008, the construction contract for the third block of eight
Virginia-class submarines was awarded. The multi-year contract allowed Shipbuilding and its teammate to proceed
with the construction of one submarine per year in 2009 and 2010, and allows for the construction of two
submarines per year from 2011 to 2013. The eighth submarine to be procured under this contract is scheduled
for delivery in 2019.
Coast Guard & Coastal Defense – Shipbuilding is a joint venture partner along with Lockheed Martin for the
Coast Guard’s Deepwater Modernization Program. Shipbuilding has design and production responsibility for
surface ships. In 2006, the Shipbuilding/Lockheed Martin joint venture was awarded a 43-month contract
extension for the Deepwater program. The first National Security Cutter (NSC), USCGC Berthoff, was delivered
to the Coast Guard in 2008 followed by the USCGC Waesche (NSC-2) in 2009. The Stratton (NSC-3) is
currently in construction. The construction contract for NSC-4 was awarded in November 2010.
Fleet Support – Fleet Support provides after-market services, including on-going maintenance and repair work, for
a wide array of naval and commercial vessels. Shipbuilding has ship repair facilities in the U.S. Navy’s largest
homeports of Norfolk, Virginia, and San Diego, California.
Services & Other – Shipbuilding provides various services to commercial nuclear and non-nuclear industrial
customers. In January 2008, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a joint venture among Shipbuilding, Fluor
Corporation, and Honeywell, was awarded a contract for site management and operations of the
U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. In October 2008, Shipbuilding
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