The U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy’s replacement ballistic missile submarine programs both took steps forward this week, with the Navy awarding $101.3 million to General Dynamics Electric Boat to produce the first 22 missile tubes under the Common Missile Compartment program, and the Brits cutting steel on the first boat in the Successor-class program.

The U.S. Navy’s contract modification to Electric boat comes on top of an initial five-year, $1.85 billion contract the Navy awarded Electric Boat in December 2012 for research and development work on the Columbia class, formerly called the Ohio Replacement Program. The contract has the potential to reach $2.5 billion if all options are exercised.

The U.S. Navy awarded $89.8 million on Dec. 21, 2015, for the purchase of long lead time materials for these missile tubes. At the time, the Defense Department contract announcement noted that long lead material purchase was 34 percent U.S. Navy funding and 66 percent U.K. under the Foreign Military Sales program.

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