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July 23, 2008

Collins: Navy decision a "blow" to BIW

By Whit Richardson

The Navy has officially scrapped plans to build its next generation of destroyers, a decision Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) says is "a blow to Bath Iron Works".

The Navy's plans were first reported in the Washington newsletter Inside the Navy on July 15, but the reports were unconfirmed until now. Navy Secretary Donald Winter yesterday informed members of the Senate and House that the Navy would scrap the DDG-1000 Zumwalt destroyer, which could cost as much as $5 billion a ship, after the first two are built at BIW and a shipyard in Mississippi, according to a press release from Collins' office. The Navy now plans to build nine more of the previous, and less expensive, DDG-51 Arleigh Burke class destroyers.

BIW, a General Dynamics subsidiary, would be ensured work on the DDG-51s, but Collins says the work would offer "inadequate production levels" to maintain BIW's current workforce.

A spokeswoman for BIW said the Navy has not officially notified the shipyard of any change in its acquisition strategy and would not comment on its future work.

 

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