Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, along with Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, announced Tuesday that Bath Iron Works (BIW) has been awarded a contract to build three additional DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.  The contract is part of the Navy’s 5th DDG-51 multiyear procurement (MYP) authorized by Congress.  The contract also supports the potential for five additional ships, as BIW continues to work to deliver DDG-51s on time and increase production to 1.5 ships per year in the coming years.  U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro – who attended Saturday’s christening of the USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. at BIW – notified Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Golden of the award.

“Today’s award of three DDG-51s is a testament to Navy’s confidence in the hardworking and highly skilled men and women at BIW who have earned the reputation that ‘Bath built is best built,’” said Senators Collins and King along with Representatives Pingree and Golden in a joint statement.  “We are pleased that this contract will provide a stable foundation to the shipyard for at least the next five years and ensure our sailors – and country – have the ships they need to keep the nation safe.  In addition, as BIW continues to work to deliver DDG-51s on time and increase productivity in the coming years, the contract includes the potential for additional ships and more work.”  

Senator Collins is Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee as well as the Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  Representative Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Representative Golden is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.  The Appropriations Committees are responsible for the allocation of funds for destroyers, while the Armed Services Committees authorize their purchase.

The contract was awarded after the Maine Congressional Delegation authorized and appropriated the funds for the construction of DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.  BIW then competed to receive this contract.