BAE Systems' facilities are ready to scale to support submarine manufacturing

With a highly skilled workforce, available capacity, and over a quarter billion in investments, BAE Systems is prepared to grow submarine efforts

FALLS CHURCH, Va., April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BAE Systems (LON: BA) has invested more than $260 million in its facilities over the past six years to increase support to the maritime industrial base. Through these investments, the company is ensuring it has the strong manufacturing capability and capacity to build submarine structures, and support surface ship maintenance for the U.S. Navy and its maritime partners.

BAE Systems has upgraded its welding, machining, and heavy-lift capacity across its Louisville, Kentucky manufacturing site and Jacksonville, Florida shipyard to further support building submarines. Between these two facilities, the company has over 200,000 square feet of dedicated space to take on new submarine construction, as well as personnel ready to contribute to submarine construction. 

"BAE Systems is ready to expand submarine production and build the submarine structures that are vital to safeguarding our nation," said Charles Lewis, director of Submarine Programs for Platforms & Services at BAE Systems. "As a prime contractor in many other areas of our business, we look forward to applying that mindset to bolster submarine construction, in partnership with shipbuilders, to support the U.S. Navy. Our facilities have the capacity for growth and our workforce has the skillsets required to manufacture major structures for these complex giants."

Over the last six years, BAE Systems' Louisville facility has invested more than $60 million to support maritime industrial base construction. These investments include:

• Advanced machining centers
• Upgraded heavy-lift cranes
• Test and assembly capabilities
• Enhanced weld equipment
• Overarching facility upgrades
• Welder training and onsite school facilities

In Jacksonville, the company has invested over $200 million into its shipyard. The investments include:

• A modern ship-lift, land-level repair facility
• Employee training
• Welding training center and on-site school facilities
• Manufacturing training
• Submarine fabrication upgrades

BAE Systems' Louisville site manufactures several different major structures for the U.S. Navy and its major shipbuilders. The Louisville workforce builds the Virginia Payload Module missile tubes and propulsor for the Virginia-class submarine. The site also builds the Bearing Support Structure for the Columbia-class submarine, a major structure that attaches the Columbia-class propulsor to the submarine.

Last year, the company's Jacksonville shipyard began fabricating deck structures for the Columbia-class submarine program. In addition to the shiplift and land level repair facility that will soon be operational, BAE Systems has invested in developing its skilled workforce and reorganizing its facility to take on submarine construction work.

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Eversden, BAE Systems
Mobile: 240-935-6345
[email protected]

www.baesystems.com/US
@BAESystemsInc

SOURCE BAE Systems, Inc.