BAE systems to upgrade US Navy warships

BAE Systems has been awarded a depot maintenance period (DMP) contract by the US Navy to modernise its guided missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin, (DDG 79), the company announced on 3 January.

Under the contract, worth $41.6 million, the ship will undergo 12 months of extensive work at the company’s shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia. The contract also includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the award to $117.1 million.

Initially, the company will dry-dock the 509ft ship and then upgrade its Aegis Combat System. The destroyer will also go through alterations and miscellaneous repairs that will affect nearly every part of on-board space. The work is expected to start in February and be completed by February 2019.

The ship was commissioned in August 1990 and is the second guided missile destroyer to undergo the extensive repair and upgrade work.

Furthermore, the company will also perform modernisation work on the US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Howard under a contract worth $47.8 million.

The ship will undergo 15 months of extensive work at the company’s shipyard in San Diego. If all options are exercised, the cumulative value of the DMP availability contract could reach $66.5 million.

The ship was commissioned in October 2001 and is the first West Coast-based destroyer to undergo the navy’s extensive DMP repair and upgrade programme.

Under the contract, the company will perform hull, mechanical, and electrical repairs, and upgrade the combat systems suite aboard the destroyer.

The work is expected to begin in February and be completed in May 2019.