The U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, John Young, called Senator Collins this afternoon to confirm that the Navy was officially awarding the contract to BIW today. Senator Collins is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and advocated for funding for this ship in the Fiscal Year 2005 Defense Authorization bill.
"This contract is essential to the enhancement of the Navy fleet's strength and size. Bath Iron Works has consistently delivered the best quality ships to our Navy, and its workforce is well-known for its skilled craftsmanship," Senator Collins said. "Building new ships must continue to be a priority for the U.S. if our Navy is to remain the strongest in the world. I will continue to work with the Navy to ensure that BIW will continue to be awarded such valuable contracts."
Senator Collins has met a number of times, most recently on Wednesday, January 19th, with Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Secretary of the Navy Gordon England to discuss BIW's shipbuilding priorities and the importance of maintaining the workload at the shipyard.
This is the second DDG contract awarded to BIW since November, and the seventh since 2002. ###