Contracts · Submarine maintenance
Navy plans to expand submarine maintenance contract to ballistic and guided missile boats
A planned fiscal 2027 solicitation would broaden outsourced submarine maintenance, with a small-business set-aside for non-critical work and no requirement for contractors to own a drydock.
The Navy plans to expand its attack submarine maintenance contract to include ballistic missile and guided missile submarines. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) intends to issue a request for proposals in the first quarter of fiscal 2027.1
Offerors are not required to have their own drydock
Drydock submarine repair, maintenance and alterations at the Navy sites
Requires contractors to have capability and capacity for critical-systems technical requirements
The Navy will include rolling admissions provisions to annually announce an interim competition to add contractors
The notice is informational and not a commitment to solicit or award
Source: NAVSEA presolicitation N0002427R4320, SAM.gov. As of October 21, 2026.
Sources
Contractors would perform drydock repair, maintenance and alterations at Navy facilities without needing their own drydock. The Navy intends to set aside non-critical work, designated Lot 2, for small businesses.1
The expansion also includes attack submarine work at the Trident Refit Facilities at Kings Bay and Bangor, Naval Submarine Base New London and Naval Base Point Loma. That adds to the existing framework for attack submarine work during Chief of Naval Operations maintenance availabilities.1
For Lot 1 work, contractors must have the capability and capacity to meet technical requirements for critical systems. Awardees are expected to be able to complete multiple concurrent complex Chief of Naval Operations availabilities involving critical systems. NAVSEA warns that delays on those systems are likely to significantly affect the overall schedule of the maintenance availability.1
Delivery orders are expected to be competed among contract holders under the existing five-year base ordering period and three option years. The ordering period runs through Sept. 1, 2033, if all options are exercised. Offerors must have a CONFIDENTIAL facility clearance by award.1
The Oct. 21 presolicitation notice is subject to change and commits the Navy neither to solicit offers nor to award contracts.1
The proposed expansion would open an opportunity to compete for additional submarine maintenance scope: February's sources-sought notice said existing contract holders would also face competition for the new work.2 Planned rolling admissions would let the Navy hold annual competitions to add contractors.1