22 December 2016, 18:38 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The contract includes design work for the program; shipbuilder and vendor component and technology development; concept design studies; and full scale prototype manufacturing and assembly, the release explained.
The Columbia-class submarines will be equipped with an electric-drive propulsion train which will enhance stealth capability. The submarine will have a service life of roughly 45 years.
Work will be performed in the US states of Connecticut, Virginia, Rhode Island and Maine and is expected to be completed by September 2017, according to the announcement.
