Sept. 28, 2017: Bath Iron Works and Maine’s congressional delegation announce that the Maine shipyard has won a contract to build two more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers for the U.S. Navy.
The Navy does not release the contract price, saying it plans to issue more such contracts, and it wants to keep bidding competitive.
BIW, owned by General Dynamics, competes with Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
The contract award is modified to include the installation of Flight III radar design upgrades on one of the destroyers, which are expected to make it easier for the ship’s crew to detect and destroy ballistic missiles and other enemy targets.
At the time of the contract award, BIW is Maine’s fifth-largest private employer. In Maine Department of Labor statistics for the second quarter of 2019, it is ranked fourth.
Joseph Owen is an author, retired newspaper editor and board member of the Kennebec Historical Society. Owen’s book, “This Day in Maine,” can be ordered at islandportpress.com. To get a signed copy use promo code signedbyjoe at checkout. Joe can be contacted at: jowen@mainetoday.com.
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