Textron Wins $212M Contract for SSC from US DoD

Textron, Inc., New Orleans, La., is being awarded a $212,722,820 fixed-priced incentive-fee contract for the detail design and construction of a ship to shore connector (SSC) test and training craft and technical manuals. The SSC program is the functional replacement for the existing fleet of landing craft, air cushion vehicles, which are nearing the end of their service life. It is an air-cushioned vehicle designed for a 30-year service life. The SSC mission is to land surface assault elements in support of operational maneuver from the sea, at over-the-horizon distances, while operating from amphibious ships and mobile landing platforms. SSC provides increased performance to handle current and future missions, as well as improvements, which will increase craft availability and reduce total ownership cost. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $570,451,044. Work will be performed in New Orleans, La. (59 percent); Camden, N.J. (26 percent); Great Britain (6 percent); St Louis, Mo. (3 percent); Indianapolis, Ind. (3 percent); and Eatontown, N.J., (3 percent). Work is expected to be completed by February 2017. Contract funds in the amount of $60,731,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three proposals received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity . The Navy awarded today a $212,722,820 fixed-priced incentive-fee contract for the detail design and construction of a Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) test and training craft to Textron, Inc., New Orleans, La. The contract also includes options for up to eight additional craft which, if exercised, brings the cumulative value of this contract to $570,451,044. The award was based on full and open competition. The SSC is an evolutionary replacement for the current Landing Craft, Air Cushioned (LCAC) vehicle, and benefits from more than 20 years of lessons learned from LCAC operations and maintenance. “The Ship-to-Shore Connector program demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to competition, while reducing acquisition and total ownership costs in the process,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “This is the first major naval acquisition program in more than 15 years to be designed in-house. The level of detail provided by the government design increased competition, reduced overall procurement costs and leads to smooth transition to full production.” The SSC program will significantly enhance the Navy and Marine Corps team’s capability to execute a broad spectrum of missions well into the 21st century, from humanitarian assistance and disaster response to multidimensional amphibious assault. Deliveries will begin in fiscal 2017 with initial operational capability projected for fiscal 2020.