Press Herald: Defense secretary coming to tour Bath shipyard

from the Portland Press Herald:

It has been 10 years since a member of the president's Cabinet visited Bath Iron Works.

That will end on Friday when Defense Secretary Robert Gates visits the shipyard and spends time meeting with workers and assessing the shipyard's capabilities.

Gates, whose plane will land at the nearby Brunswick Naval Air Station, will be accompanied by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who invited him to the state, and other members of Maine's congressional delegation.

Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe has a scheduling conflict and might not be able to attend.

In a telephone interview Wednesday night, Collins said Gates' visit is important to the shipyard's future because he will have a major say in how many Navy destroyers are built – and where – in the years ahead.

Gates, who has never visited BIW, is recommending in his upcoming budget that Bath build all three DDG-1000 destroyers – the only ships to be built in a new line of surface combatants known as the Zumwalt line – before embarking on construction of more Arleigh Burke destroyers.

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Defense Secretary Gates to visit BIW

from MPBN:

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be paying a visit Friday to Bath Iron Works. The announcement was made today by Senator Susan Collins. Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee says she's invited the Secretary to tour BIW, and she's "delighted" that he's taken her up on the offer. "This is a great opportunity for Secretary Gates to see first-hand the tremendious work that's done at the yard, to meet with the yard's employees and to better understand the great contributions BIW is making to our national defense," Collins told MPBN.

Collins plans to accompany Gates on the tour, and they will meet with BIW employees and attend a pre-commissioning ceremony for the USS Wayne E. Meyer, built at the Bath shipyard

Bath Iron Works awarded contract for next littoral combat ship

Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded a Bath Iron Works-led team a contract to assist in the construction of the Littoral Combat Ship Coronado (LCS-4). According to the Navy, the contract allows General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works to compete for a contract for work on up to three additional LCS ships.

“This funding is welcome news for the skilled workers at Bath Iron Works,” said Senator Collins. “BIW continues to prove that it is a valuable asset to our national security and I will continue to work closely with the Navy to help ensure that it continues to be awarded such valuable contracts including Littoral Combat Ships.”

The contract is expected to support jobs for a Bath Iron Works-led team of more than 100 people. Work on this ship, which is expected to be conducted in various locations including Bath and Mobile, Alabama, should be completed by June 2012.

Last month, Senator Collins announced that the Navy has decided that BIW will build the complete set of three next-generation Zumwalt-class destroyers.

Senator Collins welcomes Coast Guard Commandant to Maine

Senator Collins welcomed USCG Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen to Maine on Tuesday. They toured Bath Iron Works, Hodgon Defense Composites in Boothbay, and the Coast Guard Station in Rockland.
The video below is from their departure at Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head, in a Coast Guard HH60J Jayhawk helicopter.

President's budget calls on BIW to build all three DDG-1000s

Senator Collins urged Administration to fully fund third DDG-1000 to have steady work for BIW

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, today announced that Bath Iron Works is slated to build all three DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers according to the FY 2010 Department of Defense budget announced today by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

“This is incredibly welcome news for Maine and is a testament to the highly skilled, hard-working men and women at Bath Iron Works,” said Senator Collins. “My goal has always been to help ensure a steady work flow at BIW and a strong industrial base for shipbuilding. That is why I worked hard to convince the President and the Navy to include full funding for a third DDG-1000 in the budget, and I am delighted that they have agreed. The Pentagon's preference to have BIW build all three of the DDG-1000’s demonstrates confidence in BIW and should also stabilize production costs for the Navy.”

"While this strategy depends on the completion of negotiations between BIW and Northrop Grumman as well as congressional approval, this budget is a giant step toward a stable workload for BIW," said Sen. Collins.

As a result of Senator Collins’ work, the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee demonstrated strong support for the procurement of the third DDG-1000. However, as the result of a lack of support on the House Armed Services Committee, the FY 09 Department of Defense Appropriations Act only provided partial funding for the third ship. Just last month, Senator Collins wrote to Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterating her strong support for full funding of the third DDG-1000.

In addition to advocating for a strong Navy and a stable workload at Bath Iron Works, Senator Collins will be touring BIW with Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard tomorrow, Tuesday, April 7.

Admiral Patrick Walsh, Vice Chief of Naval Operations called Senator Collins this afternoon to personally discuss the announcement.

Navy awards Bath Iron Works $47.4 million contract

Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that the U.S. Navy is awarding General Dynamics a contract with a potential value of up to $47.4 million for work to be done at Bath Iron Works (BIW). This basic ordering agreement is for work that will be completed on DDG 51 Class Destroyers that have completed a shakedown cruise. According to the Navy, the orders to be issued are for engineering support, craft assistance, the ordering and processing of required material in support of PSAs, and the accomplishment of emergent industrial availabilities such as drydocking availabilities.

“This funding is welcome news for Bath Iron Works and its skilled workers,” said Senator Collins. “BIW continues to prove that it is a valuable asset to our national security and I will continue to work with the Navy to help ensure that it continues to be awarded such valuable contracts.”

Work on these ships is expected to be completed by September 2012.