US Navy contracts GDBIW for DDG 51 lead yard services

The US Navy has awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works a contract to provide lead yard services for the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer program.

The contract was announced June 8 and is valued at $49.8 million for the first year with four option years, with a total contract value of $304.8 million.

Bath Iron Works is the lead shipyard and design agent for the class. Since 1987, Bath Iron Works has provided design and technical assistance for design upgrades and major changes to the two shipyards currently building DDG 51-class destroyers.

“This contract enables our efforts to complete a Flight III design upgrade in support of the U.S. Navy’s strategy for acquiring ships with additional capability in FY’18 and FY ’21,” said Dirk Lesko, president of Bath Iron Works.

Bath Iron Works currently has under construction Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), John Basilone (DDG 122) and Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) as well as Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002), the third in the Zumwalt class of destroyers.