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.
More from Naval Warfare
-
SEA to trial sonar software for UK Royal Navy
The UK Royal Navy’s anti-submarine warfare Spearhead programme, run by the service’s Develop Directorate, has been investigating future and existing technologies with a particular focus on the USV arena.
-
Australia’s new frigate options: No easy choices as pressure mounts on DoD
A new class of General Purpose ‘Tier 2’ frigate will replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Anzac-class frigates, but the selected design options appear to have major issues in terms of compatibility and availability for the future fleet.
-
Royal Navy to receive DragonFire laser system
The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) made the decision to accelerate the laser programme from the demonstrational stage to an operational laser weapon.
-
Royal Navy’s new Dreadnought SSBNs to be equipped with OSI’s ECPINS
The contracts between OSI Maritime Systems (OSI) and BAE Systems Submarines will encompass continued support for the Astute-class nuclear-powered submarines (SSN) and the future Dreadnought-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN).