Bath Iron Works has been awarded a U.S. Defense Department contract to build three Arleigh Burke–class destroyers for the Navy, one each in fiscal years 2023, 2024 and 2026. The value of the contract was not disclosed and includes an option to build additional ships.
Chuck Krugh, president of BIW, said the company is “honored to do our part to contribute to protecting the nation and our families. Flight III destroyers have significantly increased capability and our skilled shipbuilders are committed to producing ships that meet the quality standards that our Navy sailors deserve.”
BIW is a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics. The shipyard started building Arleigh Burke destroyers in 1988 and has six in production.
In the same Aug. 1 announcement, the Defense Department said BIW competitor Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Mississippi, will build six Arleigh Burke–class destroyers for the Navy in a multiyear deal that extends through 2027.
The Times Record reported that, to date, BIW has delivered 38 such destroyers to the Navy, to 35 from Ingalls.