The U.S. Navy has issued a solicitation for a multiple-award construction contract with a combined ceiling of $15 billion to support a new aircraft carrier-capable dry dock and associated waterfront infrastructure at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) published the formal solicitation on 30 September 2026 under the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP). Proposals are due by 1 December 2026, with contractor selection expected in 2027.
The procurement is intended to establish approximately five indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) construction contracts. Each contract will have a five-year base period and one five-year option, providing a framework for awarding individual construction packages as the project advances.
The $15 billion represents the aggregate maximum value of task orders under the contracting framework. It is not a confirmed construction expenditure or the value of a single contract award.
Major task orders are expected to range from $2 billion to $6 billion, with smaller assignments possible for early contractor involvement and alternative technical concepts. The contracting arrangement provides a minimum guarantee of $1 million to each selected contractor.
The central component of the programme is the proposed Multi-Mission Dry Dock at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, which will provide maintenance capacity for Ford-class and Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, as well as other surface vessels and submarines.
The new facility is planned within the area occupied by existing Dry Dock 3 and the adjacent waterfront infrastructure. Construction will require the demolition, relocation and replacement of shipyard facilities to create sufficient space for the larger dry dock and associated operations.
According to the Navy’s official Multi-Mission Dry Dock project information, the proposed facility will feature a fully pressure-relieved dry dock structure, caisson gate, drainage and flooding systems, crane tracks, road access, and mechanical, electrical and communications infrastructure.
The work also includes utility routing tunnels, supporting buildings and modifications to existing waterfront facilities. Piers, wharves, moorings and cranes are among the structures identified for demolition, replacement or construction.
Additional proposed works include dredging to provide sufficient water depth, a new forge shop, and expansion of the Radio Hill complex at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor.
The Navy is developing the new facility to accommodate maintenance requirements for current and future warships while replacing infrastructure that is no longer suited to the size and operational needs of newer vessels.
The project is also intended to address seismic resilience requirements and maintain shipyard operations while substantial construction and facility relocations take place.
In its September 2026 report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the Navy had requested total project authorisation of $14.76 billion in its fiscal year 2027 budget submission.
That figure is separate from the $15 billion ceiling for the multiple-award construction contracts. The former is a requested project authorisation, while the latter sets the maximum aggregate value of task orders available under the procurement arrangement.
According to Navy plans reviewed by GAO as of April 2026, site-preparation demolition was scheduled to begin in 2027, followed by construction of the new dry dock in 2030. Project completion was targeted for 2038.
The Navy’s public project website separately identifies spring 2028 as the anticipated start of broader construction activity. The schedules refer to different stages of the development and remain subject to approvals and further planning.
The Multi-Mission Dry Dock project is part of SIOP, the Navy’s long-term programme to modernise infrastructure at its four public shipyards: Puget Sound, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Pearl Harbor.
GAO estimated that the wider programme would cost more than $200 billion and take over 50 additional years to complete, based on its review of Navy plans and projected funding requirements.
The agency also identified shortcomings in long-term programme oversight, including the absence of regular consolidated reporting on total costs, risks and progress across the four shipyards.
With bids closing on 1 December, the Navy is preparing to select contractors capable of delivering the dry dock and associated infrastructure through a series of major construction packages.
