Huntington Ingalls Industries press release
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded a fixed-price incentive, multiyear procurement contract for the construction of six Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyers for the U.S. Navy. The contract includes options for additional DDG 51 ships and for engineering, design, and post-delivery efforts. Due to potential competition for the option ships, the cumulative dollar value of the multi-year contract will not be disclosed at this time.
“It is a privilege for our shipbuilders to build these ships in service of our Navy,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “We look forward to the years of stability that this award provides and the opportunity to continue working with our industry partners on this important class of ships.”
Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy including the first Flight III, Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), in June of this year. In addition, Ingalls Shipbuilding has four Flight IIIs currently under construction including Ted Stevens (DDG 128), which is set to be christened this month. Additionally, Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131), and Sam Nunn (DDG 133) are also under construction at Ingalls.
Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers built for the U.S. Navy incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. DDG 125 includes the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10Combat System that is required to keep pace with the threats well into the 21st century. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Guided missile destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. surface fleet and are capable of fighting multiple air, surface and subsurface threats simultaneously.