BATH, Maine — Editor's note: The attached video was published Sept. 29, 2022.
Bath Iron Works said on Monday it was awarded a $22.7 million Navy contract to continue services for the three Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers it built.
The contract is for continued planning yard services, which includes "design, material kitting, logistics, planning and execution," according to the shipyard.
"The contract includes options which, if exercised and fully funded by the Navy, would bring the total value of the contract to $343,717,651 and extend the performance period through 2029," the shipyard said in a statement. "The majority of the planning yard services work will be performed in Maine."
“We appreciate the confidence of our U.S. Navy customer that this contract renewal represents,” BIW President Charles Krugh said in a statement. “The DDG 1000 (Zumwalt) class are remarkably advanced platforms and we are committed to ensuring their maintenance and modernization so they can contribute the U.S. fleet’s capabilities for years to come.”
The futuristic-looking Zumwalt destroyers are distinguished by their angular design, which helps to avoid radar detection.
The Navy had high hopes for the Zumwalt program, with plans for several dozens ships, but ultimately decided on only three due to concerns about cost overruns and performance.
Bath Iron Works and Mississippi-based Ingalls Shipbuilding, the only shipyards in the U.S. that build destroyers, are currently working together designing a next-generation destroyer to succeed the workhorse Arleigh Burke-class ships.