The overhaul ensures the Navy’s primary logistics platform for Pacific‑fleet submarines remains mission‑ready, directly supporting undersea dominance in a contested region.
The U.S. Navy has awarded Vigor Marine a firm‑fixed‑price contract worth $73.42 million to overhaul the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS‑39). The 215‑day availability window, running from 1 May to 1 December 2026, includes dry‑docking, system upgrades, and habitability refurbishments. Funding comes primarily from FY‑2026 operations and maintenance appropriations, with a smaller portion drawn from non‑expiring working capital. While the base contract is fixed, five optional extensions could push the total ceiling to $74.81 million, underscoring the Navy’s intent to keep the vessel mission‑ready through the next decade.
USS Emory S. Land, commissioned in 1979, remains the backbone of logistical support for Los Angeles‑class attack submarines operating in the Fifth and Seventh Fleet areas. By providing intermediate‑level repairs, spare‑parts inventories, and crew accommodations, the tender extends the on‑station time of front‑line submarines without requiring them to return to home ports. An on‑schedule overhaul preserves critical shipboard systems such as propulsion, electrical distribution, and advanced communications, directly influencing the Navy’s ability to project power across the Indo‑Pacific theater where submarine presence is a strategic priority.
The award highlights Vigor Marine’s growing role in the defense industrial base, especially after its recent successful maintenance of USS Tripoli that finished ahead of schedule. Competitive bidding through the government‑wide Point of Entry yielded a single offer, indicating limited supplier depth for complex tender overhauls. As the Navy modernizes its undersea fleet, reliable shipyard partners become essential for sustaining readiness and controlling lifecycle costs. The optional extensions embedded in the contract give the Navy flexibility to address emerging technology upgrades, ensuring the tender remains compatible with next‑generation submarine platforms.
Sailors aboard USS Emory S. Land man the rails as the ship returns to Apra Harbor, Guam, after an 11‑month, 17‑port deployment on 9 April 2025.
Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ian Zagrocki.
Vigor Marine has secured a $73.42 million contract for a 215‑day shipyard availability period for the regular overhaul and dry docking of the Military Sealift Command’s submarine tender, USS Emory S. Land (AS 39).
Work on the firm‑fixed‑price contract is scheduled to begin on 1 May 2026 and finish by 1 December 2026.
The agreement covers an initial package of work and includes five additional options that remain unexercised. If these options are taken up, the overall value of the contract could rise to $74.81 million.
Funding for the project comprises $68.48 million from fiscal year 2026 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds, which will expire at the end of the fiscal year, and $4.95 million from Navy working capital funds that will not expire at fiscal year‑end.
The contracting activity is Military Sealift Command in Norfolk, Virginia.
The procurement process was competitive, with proposals sought through the government‑wide Point of Entry website; one offer was received.
USS Emory S. Land entered service on 7 July 1979 as the first in its class of submarine tenders designed primarily to support Los Angeles‑class fast‑attack submarines.
The vessel operates with a combined crew of Sailors and Civilian Mariners under the administrative control of Commander Submarine Force, US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and operational control from Commander, Submarine Group 7 in Yokosuka, Japan.
The ship provides intermediate‑level maintenance and repairs along with hotel services and logistical support to deployed guided‑missile and fast‑attack submarines operating within the US Fifth and Seventh Fleet areas of responsibility. The vessel can also deliver repair and logistics services to deployed surface combatants and ships.
In May last year, Vigor Marine CM San Diego, a division of Vigor Marine Group, completed a Continuous Maintenance Availability on USS Tripoli (LHA 7), returning it five days ahead of schedule with support from over 250 workers.
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