Recently BAE Systems announced that it has been awarded a contract worth just over €60 million by General Dynamics Electric Boat, part of General Dynamics and the contractor building the Virginia-class submarines, for the production of Virginia payload module (VPM) missile tubes for those same submarines – in the Block IV design.
“These missile tubes provide critical firepower to the Virginia-class submarine fleet, a cornerstone of U.S. national security,” said Charles Lewis, director of submarine programs for platforms and services at BAE Systems.
The VPM tubes significantly increase the firepower and payload capacity of the Virginia-class submarines, as they can launch up to seven Tomahawks or future missile variants. These complex structures are built at BAE Systems’ Louisville facility. The company also manufactures the propulsion system for the Virginia-class submarines and a heavy propulsion structure for the Columbia-class submarines.
“By continuing to manufacture VPMs at our Louisville facility, we are supporting the industrial base while ensuring that mariners have the skills they need to protect our country,” Lewis continued.
Here for further news from BAE Systems and here for more news about the US armed forces.
