Ingalls awarded $936M contract for new Arleigh Burke class destroyer

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) - Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula has been awarded a $936 million contract for the construction of an additional Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) Flight III destroyer for the U.S. Navy.

In 2018, Ingalls was awarded a $5.1 billion fixed-price incentive, multiyear contract for construction of six Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyers for the U.S. Navy.

“We take great pride in the craftsmanship of our shipbuilders, and in the capabilities of our world-class shipyard,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. “This contract award provides great momentum for Ingalls and our more than 600 suppliers, in nearly 40 states, as we enter the second half of the year. We continue to focus on high performance and providing the greatest value possible to our customers.”

Ingalls has delivered 32 destroyers to the Navy and has four more under construction including Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) and Ted Stevens (DDG 128). Ingalls delivered Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) to the Navy in April.

The Navy informed lawmakers on Monday that it is exercising a FY2020 option for the construction of a USS Arleigh Burke DDG-51 class ship (DDG 135) in Pascagoula. The option for the additional ship modifies the September 2018 multi-year, fixed-price incentive contract for production of six DDG-51 vessels in Pascagoula through FY2022.

“Today’s announcement from the U.S. Navy is a huge vote of confidence for the talented shipyard workers at Huntington Ingalls and is excellent news for the men and women of our fleet,” said Sen. Roger Wicker. “Exercising the option for an additional destroyer helps keep our production lines stable and brings us one ship closer to our 355-ship fleet goal. This new destroyer will serve as a flexible, capable, and powerful deterrent to our nation’s adversaries for decades to come.”

“This new contract is terrific news because it safeguards the continuity of the production line that produces DDG destroyers with better warfighting capabilities than ever before. Mississippi shipbuilders can take a measure of pride in their proficiency in constructing these vital ships for the Navy,” Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said.

“This DDG contract not only supports a stronger military, but it also provides continued work for our shipbuilders at Huntington Ingalls. This contract will support South Mississippi’s economic stability and enable the Navy to move closer to its fleet goal. Once complete, the DDG will help our Navy dominate the seas and continue being the world’s most powerful Navy,” said Sen. Steven Palazzo.

The new contract also includes options for engineering change proposals, design budgeting requirements, and post-delivery availabilities, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative contract value to $947.6 million. The ship is funded through FY2019 and FY2020 shipbuilding and conversion funding.

Wicker, Hyde-Smith, and Palazzo, through their committee assignments, work actively to support authorization and appropriations measures to maintain and grow the shipbuilding industry in Mississippi.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States’ military strategy.

These guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. These ships contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.