The Navy awarded BAE Systems a $108 million firm-fixed-price contract on Aug. 19 to conduct repair, maintenance and modernization work of the
Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the USS Ross (DDG-71).
This work is called a fiscal year 2023 extended dry-docking selected restricted availability (EDSRA) and includes options that, if exercised, would raise the total value to $124 million. Work will occur at BAE’s Norfolk Ship Repair facility in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be finished by March 2024.
The Navy said the contract was competitively procured but did not disclose how many other vendors proposed for the contract.
BAE said under the contract the company will dry-dock the Ross to perform maintenance on its underwater hull, repair its main propulsion system, preserve internal ballast and field tanks and external superstructure, and rehabilitate crew berthing and dining compartments.
“This is an important job for our employees, subcontractors, and the Navy to accomplish. We look forward to meeting the long-term maintenance goals for USS Ross to sustain the future capability and readiness of the ship,” Mike Bruneau, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, said in a statement.
The company underscored that once this work is complete DDG-71 will be able to serve in the fleet for another decade.
BAE operates seven dry-docks with full-service shipyards in California, Florida and Virginia.
Ross recently served as one of four Aegis destroyers based in Rota, Spain to help defend Europe from ballistic missile threats originating in the Obama administration’s 2011 European Phased Adaptive Approach, called Forward Deployed Naval Force-Europe (FDNF-E)
Earlier this month, the USS Bulkeley (DDG-84) departed Naval Station Norfolk to change its homeport to Rota as the Navy rotates in different ships for the Rota mission. DDG-84 is joining the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), Roosevelt (DDG-80), and Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) as assets in FDNF-E (Defense Daily, Aug. 12).