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August 19, 2008

Navy does about face on DDG-1000

By The Mainebiz News Staff

The Navy has reversed its decision to scrap the DDG-1000 destroyer program and now plans to build the third ship, with construction slated at Bath Iron Works, according to a press release from Sen. Susan Collins.

The Department of Defense will fund the construction of a third DDG-1000 destroyer, and also will explore funding to potentially restart construction of the DDG-51 class of destroyers. Collins said the new plan will provide "a more stable workload for BIW," according to the release. The Navy on July 22 said it would abandon the DDG-1000 program after the first two ships are completed because the cost of the ships ballooned to more than $3 billion each. The Navy instead planned to restart the older DDG-51 program.

Congress still needs to approve funding for the third $2.6 billion ship. The Senate's version of the defense spending bill includes that money, but the House of Representatives eliminated it from its version. BIW, which is owned by Virginia-based General Dynamics, is slated to build the first DDG-1000 destroyer, while a rival shipyard in Mississippi is building the second.

 

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