General Dynamics Bath Iron Works to Build DDG 51 Destroyers for US Navy

The U. S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, a $680 million contract for the construction of DDG 115, the third ship of the Navy’s DDG 51-class guided-missile destroyer construction continuation program. The award also includes a $665 million option for Bath Iron Works to build DDG 116. DDG 115 is scheduled to be delivered in 2016.

Jeff Geiger, president of Bath Iron Works, said, “This award is a welcome addition to our backlog and is a positive sign that we will be building DDG 51s in Bath well into the future. Along with the award of DDG 1001 and 1002 last week, it is another expression of the Navy’s confidence in our ability to build affordable, high quality ships. It also enables us to maintain a strong base of quality shipbuilding jobs in Maine.”

“We are appreciative of the support that the Maine Congressional delegation has provided to the DDG program. The delegation’s commitment to national defense and their advocacy on behalf of the workers of Maine continues to be an important factor in ensuring the stability of U.S. naval shipbuilding,” Geiger said.

DDG 51 multi-mission guided missile destroyers operate in support of carrier battle groups, surface action groups, amphibious groups and replenishment groups, providing a complete array of anti-submarine (ASW), anti-air (AAW) and anti-surface (SuW) capabilities. Designed for survivability, the ships incorporate all-steel construction and have gas turbine propulsion. The combination of the ships’ AEGIS combat system, the Vertical Launching System, an advanced anti-submarine warfare system, two embarked SH-60 helicopters, advanced anti-aircraft missiles and Tomahawk anti-ship and land-attack missiles make the Arleigh Burke class the most powerful surface combatant ever put to sea.

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Source: gd, September 28, 2011