USS Helena undergoes another bout of repair and modernisation
Work on Los Angeles-class submarine to be completed by April 2021.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is embarking on another repair, maintenance and upgrade project for USS Helena, the DoD announced on 2 February.
The Newport News Shipbuilding division of HII will complete the $12.5 million contract dry-docking selected restricted availability work by April 2021.
Previously, in September 2019, HII was awarded a $38 million contract to continue repair, maintenance, upgrades and modernisation efforts on the Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine (SSN), which was commissioned in 1987.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that the USN in 2019 began studying whether to extend the service life of the some Los Angeles-class boats by a further 12 years, bringing their expected service life to 45 years. This is to ease the projected shortfall in the overall SSN fleet.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?]()
Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
-
![Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV]()
Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV
Singapore is building space for uncrewed systems and future technologies into its new Sentinel-class OPVs, reflecting a wider move towards adaptable vessels capable of maintaining persistent maritime presence.
-
![From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next]()
From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next
Saildrone’s new Copenhagen base is one sign of a larger shift, as navies globally turn to uncrewed vessels for surveillance and mine clearance.
-
![Israeli Navy looks to expand as war reshapes future force requirements]()
Israeli Navy looks to expand as war reshapes future force requirements
Israel’s navy is preparing for a larger and more technically diverse role, but its ambitions could be impacted by supply chain restrictions, accelerating demand for domestic naval production as well as autonomous maritime capabilities.
-
![Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage]()
Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage
As AI dominates defence conversations, industry increasingly points to quantum sensing as the technology set to change submarine and uncrewed underwater vehicle operations.
