Curtiss-Wright Corp. has been awarded a contract worth more than $85 million to provide main propulsion steam turbines and auxiliary equipment for the U.S. Navy’s next Gerald Ford class aircraft carrier, the third USS Enterprise (CVN 80). The award was received from Huntington Ingalls, Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS), to support planned ship construction. The ship’s name of USS Enterprise is well known from science fiction lore and the television show created in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry, “Star Trek.” It is also the name of the aircraft carrier involved with the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962.
“We are pleased to have been awarded this important naval defense contract, underscoring Curtiss-Wright’s long-standing relationship with the U.S. Navy and continued support of their critical platforms which continue to receive strong Congressional support.” said David C. Adams, chairman and CEO of Curtiss-Wright Corp. “This contract reflects the first award received by our Dresser-Rand government business acquired on April 2, 2018, and ensures that we will continue to provide the most advanced and reliable steam turbine technologies to Newport News Shipbuilding and the U.S. Navy.
The third Gerald Ford class aircraft carrier will employ the 50-year-old USS Enterprise name previously used by the Navy ship from the Cuban Missile Crisis. (Image courtesy of Curtiss-Wright Corp.)
“Further,” he continued, “our innovative products and reliable solutions continue to support the U.S. Navy’s cost and delivery targets, and reinforce the fleet readiness commitments for the aircraft carrier platform.”
Curtiss-Wright is performing the work within its EMS division in the power segment of the company. Engineering and manufacturing on the contract will continue through at least 2022, with products shipped to Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. The company has supported every nuclear submarine and aircraft carrier commissioned by the Navy, enabling efficient operation, reduced manpower, and increased system-level safety for applications employing the electromechanical designs.
