The U.S. Navy awarded BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair Inc. a $20 million contract modification covering post-shakedown availability for the Navy’s newest destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas.
The ship is set to be commissioned later this week (Oct. 7) in Tampa, Florida. It will transit to San Diego following the ceremony.
Work will be performed at the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrio Logan and is expected to be completed by October 2024.
The deal, announced on Sept. 22, exercises an option to a previously awarded contract for the accomplishment of a post shakedown availability as well as procurement of additional materials in support of that availability. The Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., awarded the contract.
The future USS Jack H. Lucas – also called DDG 125 – will be the Navy’s first Flight III destroyer with notable technological upgrades. The Flight III upgrades are centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity.
“As the Navy’s first Flight III destroyer, DDG 125 brings the most advanced integrated air and missile defense capability to the fleet,” said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager at Program Executive Office Ships. Miller made the comment when the Navy accepted delivery of the ship in June.
The destroyer is named for Pfc. Jack Lucas, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He earned the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Iwo Jima at age 17. He is the youngest Marine, and the youngest serviceman in World War II, to be awarded the United States’ highest military decoration for valor.
Viasat Gets Electronics Deal
The U.S. Navy awarded Carlsbad-based Viasat Inc. a modification to an existing contract for production of VM300-M cards, increasing the contract’s potential value by $57.5 million.
This is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a three-year ordering period remaining. Work will be performed in San Diego County with an expected completion date of September 2026. Funds will be obligated by delivery order. The first delivery order is to procure 79 VM300-M with operations and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $4.2 million.
This contract is awarded as a sole source deal, as the Defense Department determined there is only one responsible source for the electronics and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command of San Diego awarded the contract, announced on Sept. 22.
Army Taps RQ Construction
RQ Construction LLC of Carlsbad is among 12 contractors selected to compete for each order of a $499 million firm-fixed-price contract for design-build and design-bid-build construction projects. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 24, 2028. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Baltimore awarded the contracts, announced on Sept. 26.
Valiant Pulls in Training Contract
The U.S. Army awarded Valiant Global Defense Services Inc. of San Diego a $92.8 million modification to an existing contract for readiness training support. Work will be performed at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 26, 2024. The 418th Contracting Support Brigade at Fort Johnson awarded the contract.
Fort Johnson was formerly known as Fort Polk. Its name was changed as part of the Defense Department’s move to rename posts that honored Confederate military leaders.
