Posted on 05/03/2016 12:07:38 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The first Flight III Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer will be built at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, according to a Sunday statement from the Navy to USNI News.
Last week, the Navy issued a pre-solicitation notice on FedBizOpps stating the service intended to issue a Request for Proposal to Bath Iron Works for a Burke DDG “and associated supplies and services which are anticipated to be delivered in the Flight III configuration,” read the notice.
The ship will feature the first operational installation of the Raytheon AN/SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) – an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that promises to be 30 times more powerful than the AN/SPY-1 air search radar on the current Flight IIA Burkes.
The first Flight III will be the third DDG funded in 2016 following $1 billion Congress set aside for the third hull in last year’s defense bill. The service had intended to build two destroyers in 2016 but the additional funds Congress included prompted the Navy to ask for an additional $433 million in its Fiscal Year 2017 unfunded requirements list to complete the third 2016 hull.
“We’re budgeted for two Flight IIAs plus one Flight III mod. We awarded two Flight IIAs and we still have the balance of funding for the Flight III mod. And now we’re waiting to get this additional FY 16 ship in hand in a timely manner to award the ECP for this [third] ship,” Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition told USNI News following an April 7 hearing before the Senate armed services seapower committee. “If we can’t get this ship in a timely manner then we’ll have to modify one of the two that are already under contract.”
Prior to the pre-solicitation, both Bath and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) had been working on the detailed design work for the Flight III. The configuration will be built by both shipbuilders.
Naval Sea Systems Command Image
In addition to the SPY-6, the changes to the design will increase the power available on the ship by three Rolls Royce 3-megawatt generators on the Flight IIA ships with Rolls Royce’s 4-megawatt generator in the same footprint on the ship.
The electrical grid on the ship will also be upgraded from the 450-volt configuration to a 4,160-volt grid which will lead to additional design changes.
Bath getting the extra Fiscal Year 2016 ship was part of a so-called “swap agreement” between HII and Bath, the Navy said.
“The Navy intends to award the third FY16 DDG 51 ship to Bath Iron Works. This corresponds to the December 2015 long lead time material contract award for LPD 28 to Huntington Ingalls and would be in addition to the currently contracted multiyear ships, subject to congressional authorization and appropriation,” read the Navy statement.
In a Saturday statement Maine Senators Angus King and Susan Collins said, “there is no workforce in the world better positioned to build the first of the Navy’s upgraded destroyers, which will help ensure that the strength of our Navy’s capabilities remain unrivaled.”
The following is the complete Sunday Navy statement on the Flight III program.
In support of the Navy’s plans to introduce Flight III capability in 2016, the Navy issued a pre-solicitation notice for a third DDG 51 ship in FY16, which the Navy intends to deliver in the Flight III configuration. Congress has appropriated approximately $1B towards this additional ship and provided incremental funding authority, thus allowing the Navy to start the process to award the third FY16 ship in advance of receipt of the balance of funds required ($433M identified in the Unfunded Priorities List).
As previously stated, consistent with the “swap agreement,” the Navy intends to award the third FY16 DDG 51 ship to Bath Iron Works. This corresponds to the December 2015 long lead time material contract award for LPD 28 to Huntington Ingalls and would be in addition to the currently contracted multiyear ships, subject to congressional authorization and appropriation.
There is one built and two on order. And a lot of people don't think there will be that many finally commissioned.
On my tour of the shipyard (in a bus now...they don’t let you out of the bus to walk for security reasons) we came around the corner and were approaching the USS Michael Murphy, which was tied up being finished up.
There were two guys with slung weapons standing watch near the bow (wearing those ridiculous blue camo utilities...what the hell is that? So if you fall overboard, nobody can see you???) and they were facing each other.
As we approached, I saw them motioning with their hands, and realized with some amusement, they were playing rock, paper, scissors!
Than, a guy in khakis (looked like a Chief) walked out and said something to them, and they both stopped immediately, straightened up, and assumed a professional posture of vigilance.
No doubt he looked out and saw them, and walked out and yelled at them...
I know they are professionals, I know they are military men, but...it made me realize they are, at some levels, still just big kids.
Cool story!!!
You’re absolutely right. They buy is over. There are enough to put 2 on each coast. Their main operational role will be backing up the littoral combat ships I would imagine. Gunfire support. But mostly they’ll be test beds.
What? You expect me to read the article before commenting? Well!
(You are right, of course.)
There is a Bath, NY, and I have been there:
(Didn’t see any shipyards there, though....)
Well, I don’t know ships, that’s for sure. I have visited Bath, Maine, however.
:)
PS: Did not visit the shipyard. Sorry.
So glad there is work for US shipbuilders.
it's thirty miles from my house, and there's NOTHING there... 8^)
Sigh. It is a difficult thing, that we have to “make work” to keep the industry alive.
There are a lot of people who think shipbuilding and ships are obsolete. There always are.
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