The Navy has allocated $644 million for an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that will be built at Bath Iron Works.

The money will pay for design and construction of the ship, which had been previously awarded to the Bath yard. The destroyer is part of a multi-year package that calls for BIW to build five of the destroyers from 2013 to 2017.

The funding preserves the “multi-year procurement” strategy that U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine have pushed, arguing that it saves money by allowing BIW, other shipbuilders and parts manufacturers to plan for future projects more efficiently.

Collins said the projected savings from the multi-year approach is $2.2 billion.

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