The U.S. Navy awarded General Dynamics [GD] Bath Iron Works (BIW) a contract to plan and build two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (DDG-51), including the second Flight III destroyer, the Defense Department said in a Thursday announcement.
GD was awarded a firm-fixed-price-incentive-firm target modification to a previously awarded contract to incorporate the Flight III configuration for the future USS Louis H. Wilson, Jr. (DDG-126) and also the current Flight IIA configuration for DDG-127.
DDG-51 Flight III configuration incorporates the Raytheon [RTN] SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) for improved detection and tracking of targets for use with the Aegis Combat System. It will also upgrade electrical and cooling capacity to accommodate the radar system change.
The first ship planned to incorporate the Flight III configuration with the SPY-6 AMDR is the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), set to be ready in 2024.
The Defense Department did not disclose the contract award because it considers it source selection sensitive information “as the Navy expects to release a competitive solicitation for additional DDG 51 class ships in the Flight III configuration in future years.”
DDG-127 was appropriated in fiscal year 2016 in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act while DDG-126 was awarded as part of a multi-year competition for DDG-51 destroyers in 2013.
The majority of the work for both ships will be conducted in Bath, Maine, with an expected completion date by fiscal year 2024.
“These contracts help to stabilize our business and are welcome news. We are grateful to Maine’s congressional delegation and Navy Secretary [Richard] Spencer for their efforts and leadership,” Dirk Lesko, president of Bath Iron Works, said in a statement.
GD noted there are four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers currently in production at Bath: the future Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) and John Basilone (DDG-122).
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation welcomed the contract.
“These contracts to construct two new DDG-51 class destroyers in Bath demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to BIW and its confidence in the highly skilled, hard-working employees at the shipyard. There is no workforce in the world better positioned to build these ships,” Sens. Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I), and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D), said in a joint statement.