US Navy Awards $15.9 Million Contract To Support Nimitz & Ford-Class Carrier Modernisation

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $15.9 million contract to Virginia-based Engineering Services Network Inc. (ESN) to provide maintenance and modernisation support for its Nimitz-class and Ford-class aircraft carriers.

The contract, awarded by the Navy’s Program Executive Office, Aircraft Carriers (PEO Carriers), Carrier Planning Activity (CPA), will see ESN provide engineering, maintenance planning, cybersecurity, information assurance and administrative support to help modernize the carriers throughout their operational life.

The agreement runs for five years, including a one-year base period and four optional one-year extensions. Most of the work will be carried out in Norfolk, Virginia, with work starting immediately.

As part of the contract, ESN will support the Navy in planning, carrying out and managing modernisation work for the two classes of aircraft carriers, which remain central to the U.S. Navy’s operations.

The company will also collect, manage and analyse maintenance and modernisation data covering Hull, Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E) systems, cybersecurity, and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems.

“ESN is honored to continue supporting the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier enterprise,” ESN Chief Executive Officer Raymond F. Lopez Jr. said.

“Aircraft carriers remain the cornerstone of America’s maritime power projection. We are proud to provide the engineering, planning, cybersecurity, and modernization capabilities that help ensure these vital platforms stay mission-ready and capable of meeting evolving operational demands,” he added.

The company said the award expands its work supporting U.S. Navy engineering and modernization programmes.

Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers have been the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s carrier fleet since the 1970s.

Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, the class consists of 10 nuclear-powered carriers.

Each is powered by two nuclear reactors, allowing it to operate for more than two decades before requiring refuelling.

Ford-class aircraft carriers

The Ford-class is the Navy’s next generation of aircraft carriers and is designed to replace the aging Nimitz-class fleet over the coming decades.

It includes technologies such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), dual-band radar and a redesigned flight deck that allows higher aircraft sortie rates.

ESN has provided engineering, logistics, cybersecurity, software development and technical services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies for more than 20 years.

Under the new contract, the company will continue supporting the Navy’s efforts to maintain and modernise its aircraft carrier fleet throughout the ships’ service lives.

References: interesting engineering, eastoregonian