The US Navy has awarded six of its next Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to Ingalls Shipbuilding and four to General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, worth a total of $9 billion.
Huntington Ingalls Industries secured a deal worth $5.1 billion for the design and construction of six DDG-51 class ships, while General Dynamics Bath Iron Works have agreed a contract worth $3.9 billion for the construction of four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Commenting on the awards, James F. Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, said: “These contract awards are further evidence of the Navy’s continued delivery of lethal capacity to the nation with a sense of urgency while ensuring best value for the taxpayer.
“The Navy saved $700 million for these 10 ships by using multiyear procurement contracts rather than a single year contracting approach. We also have options for an additional five DDG-51s to enable us to continue to accelerate delivery of the outstanding DDG-51 Flight III capabilities to our naval force. We executed this competition on a quick timeline that reflects the urgency in which the Navy and our industry partners are operating to ensure we meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy.”
Dirk Lesko, President of Bath Iron Works, said: “We are pleased with the opportunity for Bath Iron Works to continue our participation in the DDG 51 Program and to deliver much needed capability to our US Navy customer.
“We would like to thank the entire Maine delegation for their support for both Navy shipbuilding and BIW, and specifically for recognizing the importance of the Arleigh Burke class destroyers for our nation’s security.”
image © US Navy
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