Senator Collins Announces $433 Million for Additional Destroyer Likely to be Awarded to BIW

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the bipartisan funding bill that was signed into law yesterday includes $433 million for the construction of an additional Arleigh Burke class destroyer (DDG-51) that is likely to be awarded to Bath Iron Works (BIW). As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins secured this funding.

This ship was previously allocated $1 billion in the fiscal year 2016 Defense appropriations bill. The $433 million provided today fully fund’s the ship’s construction. This additional ship is in addition to the two ships funded as part of a multiyear procurement (MYP) contract to build up to 10 ships between 2013-2017.

“I worked hard to secure the $433 million needed to fully fund the construction of this additional destroyer likely to be awarded to BIW,” remarked Senator Collins. “At a time of growing instability around the globe, the importance of our naval assets to counter these threats and protect our national security is only increasing. Destroyers are the workhorses of the Navy, and there is no workforce better positioned to build this DDG-51 than the highly skilled men and women at BIW.”

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins secured the $433 million in funding in the Defense appropriations bill that passed the Committee unanimously in May 2016. The funding builds on the $1 billion Senator Collins secured toward the construction of an additional DDG-51 destroyer in 2015. At present, the Navy has 275 deployable battle force ships, well short of the new goal set by the Navy in December for 350 ships.