The U.S. Navy has awarded a $94 million contract to Electric Boat to help pay for repairs of the USS Miami, the Groton-built nuclear submarine that caught fire at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on May 23.
A vacuum cleaner was identified as the cause of the . The fire never threatened the submarine's nuclear reactor; it was located on the other end of the ship. There were no weapons onboard.
Shipyard officials earlier reported the Navy believed it would cost an estimated $400 million to repair the USS Miami.
The contract will pay for advanced planning and material efforts in support of repairs, according to a statement by U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney.
He said choosing Electric Boat for the contract was the right decision.
“This work is not a normal repair job, but rather a drastic overhaul of the burnt-out innards of this critical vessel,” the statement said. “As the builder of the Miami, the talented men and women of Electric Boat are uniquely suited to take on this challenge.”
He said Electric Boat took on a similar task three years ago, when it replaced the torn sail of the USS Hartford.
