General Dynamics to add 400 jobs at Electric Boat Quonset Point

General Dynamics Electric Boat plans a $40-million expansion at its Quonset Point, R.I. facility and the addition of 400 jobs at the plant. Electric Boat President John P. Casey gave the news at an afternoon briefing for Rhode Island’s elected officials, according to local media reports.

Electric Boat plans to expand the Rhode Island building where it assembles submarine hull section supermodules. A fourth bay is to be added to its present three-bay building, which will  be connected to two neighboring buildings. This will allow the shipbuilder to cut steel plate, fashion it into decks and other structures and insert it into hull cylinders all under one roof, reports the Providence Journal.

The expansion is needed to meet an increase in Navy orders for Virginia-class fast-attack submarines from one boat a year to  two a year.

Electric Boat builds the Virginia class in a team arrangement with Northrop Grumman Newport News. Under that arrangement, Quinset Point builds hull modules for all of the submarines, barging them alternately to Electric Boat’s Groton, Conn., facility and Newport News for assembly.

Jan 11, 2011