Page 33: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 1986)

struction of the Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), the Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), and the George Wash- ington (CVN-73).

At her launching, the Roosevelt was then 17 months ahead of sched- ule and $42.1 million under budget.

The yard got off to a fast start with

CVN-71 by completing in 23 months what had taken 40 months to complete with the previous Nim- itz Class carrier, the Carl Vinson (CVN-70).

The advanced technology has enabled progress to be accelerated since the Roosevelt's keel was laid in late 1981. For the first time, the yard used structural Computer

Aided Design/Computer Aided

Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) to cut the steel for the carrier, helping speed fabrication dramatically.

Once the units come out of Steel

Fabrication, they are joined with other assemblies into modules and preoutfitted with much of the pip- ing, ventilation, and electrical equipment they need.

Advanced technology is also pay- ing off on the construction of the fifth and sixth Nimitz Class carriers.

At mid-1985, construction of the

Abraham Lincoln and the George

Washington was reported by the

Navy to represent $450 million in savings.

These techniques are being ap- plied at the yard to an even greater challenge—the building of nuclear- powered submarines. The company has committed $300 million to the construction of the most modern and efficient submarine construc- tion facility ever conceived. Compu- terized manufacturing technology, including robots and lasers, is being used to design and build the vessels, affirming NNS's role as the leading innovator in the U.S. shipbuilding industry.

Following months of prodding by the Navy, Newport News recently indicated that it may be willing to bid on Trident submarines, a pro- gram thus far awarded entirely to

General Dynamics, whose Electric

Boat division has to date been given contracts for 13 of the 20 Tridents that are planned. The Navy orders only one Trident a year, at a price of about $1.5 billion.

If the Virginia shipyard becomes a second source for tbe Trident, it will represent a breakthrough for the Navy in its efforts to secure competitive bidding on its biggest procurements. Further negotiations are required, however, to decide how much the Navy will pay New- port News to help in gearing up to participate in the Trident program, and to set the ground rules for the competition with General Dynam- ics.

Newport News also competes with General Dynamics in the con- struction of Los Angeles Class at- tack submarines, four of which are awarded in eacb fiscal year. The

Virginia yard currently has con- tracts for eight attack subs at a total cost of more than $2 billion. Also on order are three aircraft carriers of the Nimitz Class at a total price of $4.4 billion. With the future of air- craft carrier construction uncertain, however, the next decade may be the years of the submarine at the

Newport News yard. "The decision that has to be made in the next few years is where do we go besides shipbuilding," said Ed- ward J. Campbell, president and chief executive officer. With the ad- vance in building man-made is- lands, he speculates on the modular construction of a chemical plant and towing it to a site somewhere in the

Third World, and a fleet of towed submarine tankers carrying oil un- derseas.

Today, Newport News Shipbuild- ing is a huge manufacturing com- plex employing some 30,000 highly skilled people, with state-of-the-art facilities encompassing almost 500 acres along 2.2 miles of the James

River—the culmination of 100 years of shipbuilding. The shipyard enters its second century well prepared for the challenges ahead.

For further information on New- port News Shipbuilding's facilities and capabilities.

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