Thursday, September 11, 2008

BIW gets $7.4 contract upgrade for Aegis destroyer work

By Mass High Tech Staff

Bath Iron Works Corp., a ship-building division of defense giant General Dynamics Co., is being awarded a $7.36 million contract modification for technical assistance for the DDG-51 class of Aegis destroyers, according to the Department of Defense.

This contract calls for Bath, Maine-based BIW to be the lead in the interpretation and application of the detailed design developed by BIW, the lead yard contractor for the Aegis destroyer program. DDG 51 Class services include liaison for follow ship construction, class logistic services, class design agent services and class change design services for further ships to be built under the program, according to officials.

The new modification of the contract is expected to be completed by September of 2010, and all work will be performed in Bath, Maine. The contract was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C.

In February, BIW was awarded a $1.4 billion contract to build the Zumwalt (DDG-1000), the flagship and namesake for the Navy’s next-generation of multimission surface ships. The ship is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2014, officials said. In August, however, the Navy proposed scaling back production of the Zumwalt DDG-1000 destroyer from seven ships down to two.

General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), which employs about 83,500 workers, reported profits of $2.07 billion on $27.2 billion in revenue for 2007.