BAE Systems to overhaul and modernise USS Halsey
The USS Halsey will be out of commission until 2026 while its refit and update is undertaken. (Photo: US Navy)
The US Navy has chosen BAE Systems to direct maintenance and modernisation of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97). The contract is worth an initial US$177.8 million to the company, although if all its potential options were taken up, that could rise to $225.5 million.
BAE Systems’ San Diego shipyard will dry-dock the Halsey while it undergoes underwater hull preservation work and the enhancement of its Aegis combat system with the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Programme (Block 3).
While in dry-dock, the ship is expected to have its command-and-control systems upgraded. BAE Systems has also been charged with refurbishing the living space the all 260 crewmembers who work the ship.
Related Articles
BAE Systems sells SF ship repair business
The scale of the modernisation project is expected to put the Halsey out of any consideration for duty from October 2024 into 2026. The work will be conducted under the auspices of the Depot Maintenance Period (DMP), in which the San Diego shipyard crew has experienced having refurbished four other vessels under DMP rules, the latest of which was USS Mustin (DDG 89).
BAE Systems’ San Diego shipyard employs around 650 people, and general manager of San Diego ship repair, Eric Icke, said the team was well-practiced and ready for the task of taking on the USS Halsey.
“This type of deep-level sustainment work is necessary and critical to maintain the combat effectiveness of the USS Halsey,” said Icke. “This assigned DMP work will enable the Halsey to move into its next phase of fleet readiness.”
More from Naval Warfare
-
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies
A new Council on Geostrategy primer warns that NATO cannot defend its own supply lines. As the alliance faces a sealift and logistics escort deficit, a wave of unawarded procurement is beginning to take shape.
-
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.