General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works (GDBIW) has been awarded a contract to build another DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
As per a recent press statement, the U.S. Department of Defense has exercised an option to the multi-year contract awarded in 2023 for the Maine-based yard to build an additional destroyer.
GDBIW is already building two Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. and USS Patrick Gallagher.
It is also already constructing five Flight III configuration destroyers: Louis H. Wilson Jr.,William Charette, Quentin Walsh, John E. Kilmer and Richard G. Lugar.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers can operate independently or as part of Carrier Strike Groups, Surface Action Groups, and Expeditionary Strike Groups. They are 154-155m long, have a range of about 4,400 nautical miles and can sail at speeds in excess of 30 knots.
The Flight III variants are fitted with RTX’s SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) system to enable them to simultaneously perform anti-air warfare (AAW) and ballistic missile defence (BMD) as per the U.S. Navy’s desire to provide an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capability.
They can also carry Tomahawk cruise missiles and torpedoes; six destroyers carry the ODIN laser weapon and one, USS Preble, has the HELIOS laser system.
As of March 2025, 74 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers had been delivered to the fleet, with another 12 ships in various stages of construction and a further 25 contracted.
Charles F. Krugh, president of Bath Iron Works, commented: “We are proud to be selected to build this ship for the U.S. Navy and to continue our legacy of contributing to the nation’s defence.”
He added: “I appreciate the efforts of our team to improve the construction process and build to the plan. We are clawing back schedule so we can deliver more Bath-built ships to our Navy.”
- You can read more details on the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works website and the U.S. Navy website