The Navy has signed a $22.2 billion contract with Electric Boat to build at least nine Virginia-class attack submarines over the next five years. The submarines will join the Navy’s fleet starting in 2025 through 2029. The new Virginia submarines will involve more work and cost more than previous versions. An 85-foot section will be added to the submarines to enable them to store more weapons, deliver special operations forces and other uses. That will add $500 million to the construction cost, bringing the total price per submarine to $3.2 billion. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, who’s pushed for more submarines to be built to help address a dip in the size of the attack fleet expected in the late 2020s, said Navy officials have told him they’d like to build 10 submarines over the next five years.
https://www.theday.com/article/20191202/NWS09/191209874