In its biggest full-rate production award yet for undersea systems, L3Harris Technologies will provide submarine communications suites for 26 Virginia- and Columbia-class vessels under a contract from General Dynamics Electric Boat.
The advanced equipment is intended to strengthen secure communications and real-time operational awareness aboard US Navy submarines. Work will extend through 2033, with provisions for additional platforms and potential foreign customers.
L3Harris has a long history of supporting Navy submarine communications, including earlier work on Ohio- and Los Angeles-class boats.
The Virginia-class submarine conducts missions ranging from Tomahawk land strikes to anti-submarine warfare. It measures 115 meters in length, displaces over 10,000 tons, and carries Mk 48 torpedoes.
The next-generation Columbia-class submarine, designed to replace the Ohio-class, will be the Navy’s largest submarine ever built and will anchor America’s sea-based nuclear deterrent with advanced stealth and a lifetime nuclear reactor core.
