USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is maneuvered by tugboats in the James River during Ford's turn ship evolution during its post-shakedown availability in March 2019 at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
By Rich Abott |
@ReaderRabott
5 years ago |
06/13/2019

The Navy awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII] a $687 million contract on Wednesday for early service life period work on the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is maneuvered by tugboats in the James River during Ford's turn ship evolution during its post-shakedown availability in March at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is maneuvered by tugboats in the James River during Ford’s turn ship evolution during its post-shakedown availability in March at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The contract announcement said this award aims to support ship repair and modernization during continuous incremental availabilities, planned incremental availabilities, full-ship shock trials, and continuous maintenance and emergent maintenance during the ship’s early service life period.

The contract covers five ordering periods lasting a total 60 months with $687 million being the maximum order value.  This was not a competitively procured contract in accordance with the U.S. Code with only one responsible source.

The initial delivery order work will occur in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be finished by June 2020. All five delivery orders are expected to be finished by June 2024. A total of $1.7 million in FY ‘19 Navy operation and maintenance funds were obligated at award time and will expire at the end of FY ’19.