The US Navy has entered into a $500 million agreement with BlueForge Alliance to enhance its submarine base. Established in November 2022, BlueForge Alliance, a Texas-based non-profit, has swiftly gained prominence by teaming up with the US Navy and General Dynamics Electric Boat.
Submariners aboard French SNA class (Nuclear Attack Submarine) submarine "Casabianca" leave Toulon's harbor for a practice session on October 19, 2009. Des sous-mariniers à bord du sous-marin nucléaire d'attaque français "Casabianca" quittent l'arsenal du port de Toulon pour une mission d'entraînement, le 19 octobre 2009. Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images
US Navy's Collaboration with BlueForge Alliance
The US Navy has sealed a $500 million agreement with BlueForge Alliance to enhance its submarine base. BlueForge Alliance has swiftly garnered attention by teaming up with the US Navy and General Dynamics Electric Boat. This collaboration aims to fortify the submarine industrial base, with the Navy planning to escalate its investment, as per a prominent Navy official.
Established in November 2022 by two former engineers from Texas A&M, Interesting Engineering reported that BlueForge Alliance has rapidly made a name for itself by teaming up with the US Navy and General Dynamics Electric Boat. Their collaboration aims to bolster the submarine industrial base in readiness for the AUKUS pact.
During a roundtable discussion at Naval Sea Systems Command on June 6, Matthew Sermon, the executive director of the program executive office for strategic submarines at the Navy, revealed that $605 million has been earmarked for supplier development in the fiscal year 2024 national security supplemental. He expressed his anticipation of involving BlueForge in these projects.
BlueForge's Collaborative Efforts and Initiatives
Sermon, one of the first Navy officials to publicly discuss BlueForge Alliance at a trade show last November, mentioned that the organization's founders, Kiley Wren and Rob Gorham, initially reached out to the service after working with Texas A&M.
He also pointed out that BlueForge has broadened its initiatives by spearheading an additive manufacturing consortium involving several universities. Additionally, they partner with select original equipment manufacturers and additive manufacturing companies to ensure seamless coordination between industry and academia, emphasizing the importance of material advancement to bolster capability.
BlueForge's initiatives, including the BuildSubmarines.com platform, target the Navy's requirement for 100,000 new employees over the span of ten years. They've actively promoted this initiative through billboards and advertisements at significant events like the MLB season opener, NASCAR races, and the Oscars.
Moreover, BlueForge presented pilot programs for supplier and workforce development to Electric Boat and the Navy, with Electric Boat endorsing these programs and appointing the non-profit as the exclusive executor.
BlueForge's proactive measures and swift growth reflect a broader movement within the U.S. Navy to bolster its industrial capacities. Concurrently, the Navy's collaboration with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) to recruit and educate skilled workers underscores a mutual goal.
