Groton ― The Navy has awarded Electric Boat an approximately $517 million contract to provide parts and specialized materials for the Virginia-class submarine program, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, announced Monday.

“Electric Boat’s new $517 million award from the U.S. Navy, coupled with the company’s record-large workforce, will help turbocharge the Navy’s critical mission to improve the lagging operational availability of existing Virginia-class submarines,” Courtney said in a statement.

“With this new funding, EB will help build a surplus of parts and materials required for submarine maintenance, so that our public shipyards have more spare parts readily available even before maintenance is required,” Courtney added. “Accelerating the turnaround time for submarine repairs is one of the highest needs of the Navy. This award demonstrates that the Navy and Congress are serious about achieving an 80 percent availability rate for the attack submarine fleet.”

He said the award “serves as a testament to Electric Boat’s skilled shipbuilders and their track record of delivering excellence not only for production but also submarine repairs and maintenance.”

The news release cites that the funding was authorized by the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. Courtney, who was then chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, helped pass the act.