General Dynamics [GD] said on Wednesday the new president of Bath Iron Works (BIW) will be Charles Krugh, executive of subsidiary Gulfstream Aerospace.

Last month, former BIW president Dirk Lesko abruptly

resigned without explaining any reason publicly. Robert Smith, General Dynamics executive vice president for marine systems, assumed responsibility to lead the shipbuilder on an interim basis, pending a permanent replacement (Defense Daily, April 8).

Based in Bath, Maine, BIW is one of the two shipyards that build the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers along with HII’s [HII] Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. Both companies are slated to continue building destroyers until the Navy transitions to the DDG(X) next-generation large surface combatant destroyer in the 2030s.

“Chuck’s leadership, proven track record in manufacturing and expertise in managing complex supply chains will be an enabler to Bath Iron Works as it expands and increases the pace of shipbuilding for the U.S. Navy,” Smith said in a statement.

Krugh is a veteran of the U.S. Army and has served in several aerospace manufacturing roles, including France’s Dassault Aviation and Canada’s Bombardier Inc. before joining General Dynamics in 2011, first as a senior vice president and general manager for Jet Aviation. 

In 2018, Krugh was appointed as Gulfstream’s vice president for supplier operational support.